Evil Dead Remake to be "Grounded in Reality" Says Diablo Cody
Posted 11.30.11 by Ryan
There hasn't been much for fans to be happy about when it comes to the upcoming remake of 1981's The Evil Dead . Sure, director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell will be on hand to produce, but as Campbell has already revealed, the remake won't include his signature character, Ashley "Ash" Williams, who returned for more in 1987's Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and 1992's Army of Darkness. Furthermore, the plot, following the original closely, only adds a drug addicted character who reportedly "becomes insane and difficult to control [without drugs], which makes it impossible to see that she's actually possessed". That "twist" hasn't been warmly received by fans.
It's not all that bad, according to Academy Award–winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno), who is rewriting the script by newcomer director Fede Alvarez and his screenwriting partner Rodo Sayagues. In an interview with MTV, Cody said that the Evil Dead remake will be "grounded in reality".
It was really important again to the filmmakers that it remain totally grounded in reality and timeless. They weren't trying to make some hip trendy horror movie full of pop culture references. I really hope people don't think that that's what I was hired to do. I came in and worked on characters and relationships, things like that.
So there you go. Cody was not brought in to punch up the comedy of the movie, nor to ruin it with a character tailor-made for Megan Fox. Plus, the "reality" of the script may work for the "twist" of the drug subplot. But will it make it any easier for fans to accept a remake of a beloved, horror classic?
With the remake slated for a 2013 release, there's plenty of time for fans to start supporting the movie, but so far, it doesn't seem like there's enough for fans to stop beating the drum of low expectations. Perhaps Mr. Raimi would like to say a few words in the near future? We'll keep you posted.