In the first Evil Dead Rise redband trailer, Mother most definitely doesn't know best

The latest addition to the classic zombie horror franchise follows a family trying to survive their matriarch's meltdown, one eggshell-filled omelet at a time

By Hattie Lindert  |  January 4, 2023 | 7:33pm
Film News Evil Dead Rise
In the first Evil Dead Rise redband trailer, Mother most definitely doesn't know best
Alyssa Sunderland in Evil Dead Rise Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Sometimes, the only thing that stands between survival and violent elimination is one very cool aunt. At least, that’s part of the premise for Evil Dead Rise, the latest installment in Sam Raimi’s iconic zombie horror franchise. Directed by Lee Cronin (and executive produced by Raimi), the first trailer for Evil Dead Rise—due out in the spring—promises a new helping of depraved behavior, served family-style.

Evil Dead Rise follows two estranged sisters, Ellie (Alyssa Hernandez) and Beth (Lily Sullivan), who have the bad luck of encountering the Necronomicon, the Evil Dead universe’s age-old tome of vicious reanimating spirits. Before they can kick off a healing weekend alongside Ellie’s three children, Ellie starts to look (as her young daughter puts it) “not so good”— and then the glass-eating starts.

EVIL DEAD RISE – Official Trailer – (Redband)

Given the first trailer’s red band nature, there’s plenty of stomach-churning imagery to go around. The family’s possessed matriarch uses household items from a cheese grater to a drill in the name of her violent whims—but when the mission is completely scalping a family member, her bare hands will also do.

Although the trailer clearly honors the gleeful gore intrinsic to the originals, this installment won’t feature Bruce Campbell’s iconic character Ash Williams (Campbell served as an executive producer on the film, alongside Raimi and Robert G. Tapert). Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Mia Challis, Tai Wano, Jayden Daniels and Billy Reynolds-McCarthy round out the cast.

Originally planned as an HBO Max-exclusive release, Evil Dead Rise seemingly aims to jump on the wave of diverse horror that’s seen success in theaters amid an often-dismal box office landscape. With a classic IP and support from the creator on its side, the movie certainly stands to succeed.

Evil Dead Rise lands in theaters on April 21.

 
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