New 'Evil Dead' Movie 'Evil Dead Rise' Has Begun Filming

Evil Dead Rise, the first new Evil Dead movie since the 2013 remake, is now filming. The new entry in the series hails from The Hole In the Ground filmmaker Lee Cronin, with Evil Dead grandaddies Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell on board as executive producers.

And while you may think you know what to expect from a new Evil Dead movie, Evil Dead Raise is changing up the formula. Rather than be set in a cabin in the woods like pretty much every other Evil Dead movie (save Army of Darkness), Evil Dead Rise is headed into a city setting.

Director Lee Cronin revealed on Twitter that Evil Dead Rise has begun filming in New Zealand. The horror film seems to be a sequel to the franchise as a whole, not a reboot/remake. And while Bruce Campbell's iconic Ash isn't due to appear, Campbell is on board as an executive producer along with original Evil Dead director Sam Raimi. Raimi also personally picked Cronin to helm the new movie.

"I'm thrilled to bring Evil Dead back to its original home at New Line 40 years after the release of the first film," said Raimi. "The company's history as pioneers of horror speaks for itself. I'm equally excited to be working with Lee Cronin, whose gifts as a storyteller make him the ideal filmmaker to continue the enduring legacy of the franchise."

Director Cronin added: "The Evil Dead movies filled my brain with terror and awe when I first saw them at nine years old. I am excited and humbled to be resurrecting the most iconic of evil forces for both the fans and a whole new generation."

Evil Dead Rise "tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Alyssa Sutherland (TV's The Mist and Vikings) and Lily Sullivan (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Jungle), whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable." The film also "moves the action out of the woods and into the city."

If you're familiar with the franchise, you know that that's a change of pace. Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and the 2013 remake all used a cabin in the woods setting, while Army of Darkness was set in the past. The TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead took the show on the road, but having the story set primarily within a city is a neat new twist for the franchise, and I'm very curious to see how it turns out.