Evil Dead Remake Officially Announced; Diablo Cody to Rewrite Script
Posted 07.14.11 by Ryan
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that a remake of director Sam Raimi's 1981 debut, Evil Dead, was in the works. Bruce Campbell even Tweeted in support of the reports, but now the remake has been officially announced by Ghost House Pictures.
Previously reported director Fede (Federico) Alvarez will be at the helm, while Raimi, Campbell, and original Dead producer Robert Tapert will produce the remake, with the three producers discussing the remake in a statement to THR.
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 Fede bringing a fresh eye to the film’s original elements.
After impressing Raimi and Tapert with his short movie Panic Attack, the initial plan was for Alvarez to work on a sci-fi project, which eventually turned into Alvarez writing the remake script with Rodo Sayagues. Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer's Body) is performing a rewrite, perhaps to inject some humor into the remake (or to create a role for Megan Fox). Again on his Twitter, Campbell offered his support.
Go Diablo, go! Write like the wind!
Of course, the real question is whether a remake needs to be made at all. The first Evil Dead inspired a rabid fanbase, and spawned two sequels — 1987's more-or-less comedic remake Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and 1992's Army of Darkness. Campbell has been saying a remake was more likely than another sequel as early as 2009, and considering that almost every major horror franchise has been remade so far — Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to name a few — perhaps no one should be too surprised.
What isn't clear is whether Campbell will make a return. Even if he doesn't appear as the chainsaw-wielding Ash, Campbell as another character (and not a cameo) could help appease the franchise's fans.