The Evil Dead was released over 30 years ago and is still considered one of the greatest cult horror movies of all time. It spawned two sequels and a remake in 2013 but in just a few months we will see the return of our much loved chainsaw-limbed hero Ash…and probably a few deadites too.

Director Sam Raimi, producer Rob Tapert and lead actor Bruce Campbell recently spoke to the press about what we can expect from Ash vs Evil Dead and according to Raimi it’s set in an “alternate universe” and might include time travel:

“It doesn’t really exist in the exact same universe. It’s a slightly altered universe. It takes place somewhere in an alternate universe after Evil Dead 2…Army of Darkness, does it exist? Well, certainly Ash went through that experience. We’re not referencing specifics from that, but he certainly has that in his memory.”

Raimi continued by describing the tone of the show as a mix of hard-hitting horror and slapstick comedy, “We have elements of the Evil Dead films, which have always had very hard-edged, intense horror really designed to frighten the audience, and no holds barred there…But also, there is a comedic element that is alive in this…. I think what we tried to do is go back to the horror of the first and second, but with the character that Bruce created over the second and third. We’re really a combination; something we haven’t quite seen before.”

The trio suggest that we meet Ash at his lowest point of his life, “We’re going to find Ash is potentially damaged goods” says Campbell “and, god forbid, this is our hero…He is a basket-case.” Raimi adds “The Deadites have been fairly dormant over the last 20-30 years and Ash has been living a low life, hiding out. Our story really begins when they come back and someone is needed to stand up against them.” Tapert concludes, “He’s not a nobler or saner character than when we last saw him. In fact, I think if anything, he’s digressed. He’s kind of sunk to his lowest instincts, and that’s where we find him.”

Raimi also gave up some more details about our new characters, “Pablo (Ray Santiago), a young immigrant and through his encounters with Ash…discovers what’s really important to him. Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), Pablo’s love interest who first doesn’t believe in Ash and wants nothing to do with him, but becomes a part of the team as they realize there is something greater at play…Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones) is a police officer who sees something that she doesn’t believe and it causes her great problems in her profession, and she’s on the trail to hunt down Ash because she believes he’s responsible for this series of bodies. Eventually, she teams up with Ruby (Lucy Lawless) who knows something about the Evil Dead, and she’s also on the hunt for Ash. That is the core team over the first season.“

When asked about the possibility of time travel Tapert replied, “Perhaps by the end of this season, because we haven’t really discussed episodes 9 and 10 so much. Or the second season, if the story took us there. We know it’s part of the Evil Dead universe. So it’s always a possibility, but right now it’s not in the work that we’re doing.”

Sam Raimi confirmed that he will only be back to direct the pilot but will still be heavily involved in the direction of the show and he also admitted that a sequel to the 2013 remake still might happen as well as another Ash-centric movie,”I love that movie, and I hope there will be a sequel. After we had made his movie, as much as the fans loved it, they also seemed to want to see Bruce again in this series…I hope we can get Fede back to continue the new Evil Dead series once we’ve established Bruce’s story…we always want to keep that ability in the back of our minds to tell a story on the big ol‘ screen…[Another movie] is a possibility no matter what happens.”

Ash vs Evil Dead will premiere on Starz this Fall.

Source: Collider

Gavin Logan – Follow me on Twitter