This has been a big year for ‘Evil Dead’ fans, though probably not in the ways they would have hoped. First, the news broke that Starz had cancelled ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’, the television revival of Sam Raimi’s career-making splatter films. Then, hot on the heels of that disappointing (if not altogether surprising) development, series star Bruce Campbell announced his retirement from the role of Ash Williams. Needless to say, this put something of a damper on fans’ hopes of a subsequent revival, as producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert had both publicly suggested they might pursue a new ‘Evil Dead’ film should the show be cancelled.
But does the loss of Bruce Campbell really mean the end of ‘Evil Dead’? Or simply the end of ‘Evil Dead’ as we know it? Well, fans are certainly hoping for the latter! One such individual on asked Campbell on Twitter whether or not he’d give his blessing to an Ash-free continuation of the series, perhaps one following his ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ co-stars. Campbell’s reply?
“Not that they need it, but of course. Lots of unexplored stories and crossovers in the ‘Evil Dead’ universe. #nextgen”
Regardless of Campbell’s involvement, Raimi and Tapert at least appear interested in continuing the series in some form. And in this age of franchise media, a continuation of some sort is almost a given. But more than anything else, Campbell’s retirement raises the question of just what form that might be. It could, as that fan suggested, be an Ash-less story picking up where ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ left off. Failing that, the obvious guess is a follow up of some sort to Fede Alvarez’s 2013 remake, a door that has been left open (deliberately, one suspects) for the last five years. They could even pursue an all new reboot, though that would seem to be the option most fraught with peril given both the existing options and the series’ notably ardent fanbase.
Where do you hope to see the ‘Evil Dead’ go next? What approach would you like to see now that Bruce Campbell has retired? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more on the future of ‘Evil Dead’ as it becomes available.
