Director Lee Cronin Wants Evil Dead Rise To Expand The 'Universe' Of The Series

Despite not always following the same protagonist, the "Evil Dead" franchise is one of the more surprisingly consistent in horror. It's a pretty difficult formula to mess up, after all — a group of people find the Necronomicon in a strange location, they accidentally unleash its powers, they fight for their lives and souls. With a structure like that, it's no wonder that every entry in the franchise ranges from good to great.

Not to overhype ourselves, but it certainly looks like "Evil Dead Rise" won't be an exception to this. In our defense, its first trailer looked sick, and if director Lee Cronin can be believed, what we saw was only a taste of what to expect. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, the director teased that behind the terrifying events taking place in a Los Angeles apartment complex, there is another significant story happening out in the woods.

"What I can say about the aspect back out in the woods is, it's all part of the exploration of a bigger universe," said Cronin, "and how the evil force can never really be destroyed and can continue to travel and pass."

Understandably, he's keeping this particular aspect of the film under wraps. However, based on what we see in the trailer, it looks like a similar Deadite infestation is about to occur in a swanky, Airbnb-esque lakeside cabin. Hold on to your scalps!

Although the cabin will have its own unique story happening, the real meat and potatoes of "Evil Dead Rise" occurs in that doomed apartment complex. While that setting alone makes it different from other entries in the franchise, the non-Deadite conflict is one that's pretty similar to the others in the franchise. Instead of a brother-and-sister relationship hanging in the balance, "Evil Dead Rise" will focus on two sisters, Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland).

"What the trailer has now revealed is that one of those sisters, Ellie, is possessed," explained Cronin, "and the other one is going to have to fight against that."

As for why the cabin in the woods is a subplot and not the central location, the director said that bringing the Necronomicon into a city environment was something mandated to modernize the franchise. However, the location change helped elevate the story.

"To me it felt very natural to make that move," Cronin said. "I view the apartment as the cabin, and the hallways and the other aspects of the building as the forest."

"Evil Dead Rise" arrives in theaters on April 21, 2023.