Evil Dead: Sam Raimi still hopes to direct another sequel starring Bruce Campbell

Sam Raimi says there’s rooms for all sorts of Evil Dead movies – and he’s still hoping he’ll get to direct Bruce Campbell in another one

When the TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead came to an end, star Bruce Campbell said he was formally retiring from the role of Evil Dead franchise hero Ash, a character he had played in three films and three seasons of television over the course of forty years. There is a loophole, though: Campbell is still willing to provide the voice of the character, which is how we got his voicework on Evil Dead: The Game, and why there’s now hope that Ash vs. Evil Dead may be revived as an animated series. But franchise creator Sam Raimi is also still holding on to hope that he’ll get to direct Campbell as Ash in another movie.

Three years ago, Raimi said, “I would love to direct a new Evil Dead movie… but I’d really like to do it with Bruce. And he says he’s retired the character. I hope not.” In a new interview with Empire magazine, Raimi said something similar: “I love working with Bruce and (producer Rob Tapert). I love it as a producer because they’re really good partners, but I also like being supported by them as the director. So I hope that is on the cards eventually.“

In the meantime, Raimi handpicked Lee Cronin to write and direct the next Evil Dead movie, Evil Dead Rise, which is set to reach theatres on April 21st.

Also during the Empire interview, Raimi confirmed they had considered making a sequel to Fede Alvarez’s 2013 Evil Dead movie that would have seen heroine Mia (played by Jane Levy) team up with Campbell’s Ash. “That character, Mia, was great, so I was very interested. We had been talking about an Evil Dead IV for the other branch of that universe, and we were worried a little bit about a collision. Ash vs. Evil Dead is what that morphed into. But I always thought there was room for both. I still think there’s room for all sorts of Evil Dead movies. I don’t think they cancel each other out.“

So as the franchise continues, there’s a chance we could see an animated series, a follow-up to Alvarez’s movie, a follow-up to Cronin’s movie, something else entirely, and maybe even… if Campbell is willing… another Raimi / Ash movie. We’ll just have to wait and see.