In the last few days there’s been a lot of confusion over the remake of Evil Dead. Info started to leak over the weekend that the shoot was imminent, but as little had been heard about the movie for months, most assumed the reports were mistaken. However yesterday it was revealed that Federico Alvarez would direct, and now Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures has officially announced the movie. They also say that Oscar-winning screewriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) is currently doing revisions to the script, based on the original version Federico Alvarez wrote with Rodolfo Sayagues.
As with the earlier Evil Dead flicks, Sam Raimi, Robert G. Tapert and Bruce Campbell (who also starred in the original franchise) will produce the movie. However while some reports this week suggested the film will shoot in August in Michigan (at the same time Raimi’s in the state making Oz: The Great And Powerful), it isn’t clear if this is actually the case.
The three producing partners commented, “We are committed to making this movie and are inspired by the enduring popularity and enthusiasm for The Evil Dead series. We can’t wait to scare a new generation of moviegoers using filmmaking techniques that were not available to us thirty years ago as well as Federico Alvarez bringing a fresh eye to the film’s original elements.”
The original Evil Dead tells the story of five 20-something friends who get holed up in a remote cabin where they discover a Book Of The Dead. An archaeologist’s tape recording reveals that the ancient text was discovered among the Khandarian ruins of a Sumerian civilisation. Playing the taped incantations, the youths unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.