Starz Orders EVIL DEAD Series
Attention, S-Mart shoppers. Got your boomsticks ready?
Spread the word – Ash is back! pic.twitter.com/clRo5RqAOf
— Bruce Campbell (@GroovyBruce) November 10, 2014
Bruce Campbell will once again reprise his role as stock boy Ash Williams in an all-new follow-up to the original Evil Dead series of films. Starz has placed a 10-episode order for Ash Vs. Evil Dead, which picks up thirty years after the films and finds Ash continuing to avoid his responsibilities as a monster hunter. He’s finally forced to face his demons when a Deadite plague hits and threatens to destroy humanity.
Campbell will executive produce along with the film series’ director Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, Raimi’s long-time producing partner. Raimi will direct the first episode, which he co-wrote with his brother Ian. The series will debut in 2015.
“Evil Dead has always been a blast,” Raimi said. “Bruce, Rob, and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to tell the next chapter in Ash’s lame, but heroic saga. With his chainsaw arm and his ‘boomstick,’ Ash is back to kick some monster butt. And brother, this time there’s a truckload of it.”
If you will recall, we reported back in our San Diego Comic-Con TV report, that Raimi had mentioned this project, but no details came out other than Raimi was writing something with his brother. Following that news, rumors and speculation flew across the Internet, with Campbell himself even downplaying the possibility of coming back as Ash, even though he had a cameo in the remake.
“I’m really excited to bring this series to the Evil Dead fans worldwide – it’s going to be everything they have been clamoring for: serious Deadite ass-kicking and plenty of outrageous humor,” said Campbell.
Raimi and Tapert have previously worked with Starz on Spartacus, the network’s first scripted hit show. Spartacus producer Aaron Lam will once again handle those duties, with Raimi’s brother Ian on board as a co-executive producer.
In the meantime, Cullen Bunn is writing all new comic book adventures with Dynamite’s Army of Darkness, set to debut in December.
Groovy.
