What a strange, strange franchise. From the 1981 low-budget horror original, to the 1987 horror-comedy sequel, to the 1993 time-travel demon fantasy, to the 2013 studio reboot. After much speculation about both a sequel to reboot as well a sequel to Army of Darkness, we finally have an idea of where the series is headed: television. As much as I enjoyed the super-serious gore fest that was 2013’s Evil Dead, I’m definitely ready for some more Ash Williams, and Entertainment Weekly’s recent pictures have me all the more excited.
In addition to Ash, we have our first look (above) at the return of the series’ other most important character - Sam Raimi’s classic ‘73 Delta 88! Seated inside it next to Ash is his new sidekick Pablo (Raising Hope’s Ray Santiago), and by the looks of things, we’re in for a whole lot of blood, confusion, and intense Bruce Campbell stares. Really, what more could you ask for?
What more other than more chainsaw & shotgun madness, of course. I can’t imagine what it must be like to look at these images without having watched the original films, but in case you’re among the uninitiated, yes. Ash has a chainsaw for a hand, a hand that he cut off because it was possessed and trying to kill him with cheap plates. Apart from his brief post-credit cameo a few years ago, this is the first we’ve seen of Ash in over 20 years. Not a damn thing about him has changed (except for Campbell aging like wine), and that’s a blessing. Those deadites don’t stand a chance!
Campbell also says we’re in for “a lot of the classic, over-the-top, in-your-face fullness, with a pretty trash-talking Ash,” which sounds a lot like every Evil Dead fan’s dream come true, as the series embraces its fun side once again. Ash vs Evil Dead premieres this fall on Starz, and the first trailer is all set to premiere at its official Comic Con panel this Friday. In the meantime, here’s a message from the man himself to tide you over. Yes, there’s an official Evil Dead Tumblr now. Get rebloggin’ those exclusives!