EXCLUSIVE: Two Possible Lead Actresses for ‘The Evil Dead’

Though there has been a lot of attention paid to what the story, structure, and tone of Sam Raimi’s produced remake of The Evil Dead will be, we haven’t heard much in regards to who might be the unfortunate inhabitants who unleash the curse over the cabin. The reason we haven’t heard any names as of yet is because they are still casting. Given the amount of attention and pressure placed on the film, I’m sure that director Fede Alvarez and his crew want to get just the right person for the lead. It has already been previously revealed that Bruce Campbell’s character of “Ash” is going to be replaced with a female lead. Given their attempt to not draw too many comparisons to the original cult classic, I admit that this is probably a good decision. Well, now we have a few names that could possibly do battle with possessed trees and vicious deadites in the film. Thanks to our inside sources, Destroy the Brain can confirm that actress Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights, The Great Debaters) and actress Gillian Jacobs (Community, The Box, Choke) have both auditioned for roles in the remake. As more information becomes available to us, we will let you know. Given that both Friday Night Lights and Community have such a strong teen and young adult following, I can’t say I’m surprised that these two could land roles in the highly anticipated horror film. Gillian in particular has made quite a name for herself with Community. I could easily see her settling into the lead of the drug-addicted Mia. We will have to see what happens since auditions are still being conducted. It is rumored that the filming will start in March 2012 for a Spring 2013 release.

The Evil Dead is being directed by Fede Alvarez. Sam Raimi, Diablo Cody, Rodo Sayagues, and Fede Alavarez are handling the screenplay. The story follows Mia, a young woman struggling with sobriety. She heads to a remote cabin with her brother and a group of friends, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to danger and horror.