Evil Dead (2013)

[MacGuffin]

Sam Raimi's 'Evil Dead' Remake Is Getting Some Script Help From Diablo Cody
Source: Playlist

After endless promises and "confirmations" about the long brewing new "Evil Dead" movie, the Internet was taken by surprise yesterday when a flurry of info hit the web that indicated it was no mere pipe dream anymore. Word was that the film was gearing up for production in Detroit, and that Sam Raimi's regular collaborator, editor Bob Murawski, who worked with Raimi on all three "Spider-Man" films and "Drag Me to Hell" before winning an Oscar for "The Hurt Locker," was also going to be involved in some capacity. By the end of the day, it was revealed that Fede Alvarez, who made the hyped robot invasion short "Panic Attack!" that nabbed him a deal with Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures back in 2009, was going to be directing.

Well, it's all official now as Ghost House Pictures has announced the remake is indeed underway with Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert producing along with Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane executive producing and Alvarez directing. But there are few more details that should raise eyebrows. First off, the script was penned by Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues, but more interestingly Academy Award winning "Juno" and "Jennifer's Body" scribe Diablo Cody is doing "revisions." The writer/director hit Twitter this evening to quell fan fears (or not) by tweeting cheekily, "Re: EVIL DEAD. Fede Alvarez wrote a brilliant script. My job is easy. Have no fear. (Wait, do have fear.)"

It's a bold choice, and for a series that earned its stripes based on its one liners alone, Cody has a helluva task ahead of her and fans will be merciless if she doesn't get it right. But we think the hire is a smart, savvy one that allows the franchise to inch into new territory stylistically and with a new voice, while still retaining the core of what made is so special. Though we're wary of the remake altogether—the original was unqiue for so many reasons that can't be equally duplicated—this at least affords it the chance to stand distinctly from the preceding trio of films. While the film is confirmed to be on the "fast track," word of the Michigan shoot, Murawski's involvement and casting is mum for now. But Comic-Con is around the corner and we expect big news will be revealed there.

[MacGuffin]

Bootleg Trailer:

Release date: April 12, 3013

Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

Premise: Mia, a young woman struggling with sobriety, heads to a remote cabin with her brother and a group of friends, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to danger and horror.

[MacGuffin]

Red Band Trailer

[Reel]

Holy shit, WOW! That looks crazy, gonna be brutal. I just watched the original classic recently though, and my question is, will it have the same imagination? RK, Socketlevel, what's your take on this?

[pete]

the new one doesn't look fun at all

[Neil]

the new one doesn't look fun at all

Pipe down Pete, reelist didn't ask you.

[polkablues]

One of those forgotten film secrets that nobody talks about is that the original Evil Dead was TERRIBLE. It wasn't until they got campy that they got good.

Since trying to remake the campiness would fail horribly, I'm happy they're going this direction with it. It's what the first movie could have been if they had the means to make it not terrible. I have a good feeling about this one.

[matt35mm]

I think that this will be fine, but quickly forgotten. I plan to skip right to forgetting about it now just to be ahead of the game.

[modage]

Against my better judgement I'm totally intrigued by this (thing that I should totally hate on principal). Having rewatched the original series recently, I was thinking that there aren't really any horror movies I can think of that go as balls-to-the-wall as the first two. ("Dead Alive" is the only one that comes to mind...) Having the original old men endorse this one certainly helps but at the same time it doesn't look that much different from the Platinum Dunes TCM crap. Aggressively dark is not really the original's deal, hopefully the actual film is more fucked up/playful.

[pete]

One of those forgotten film secrets that nobody talks about is that the original Evil Dead was TERRIBLE. It wasn't until they got campy that they got good.

Since trying to remake the campiness would fail horribly, I'm happy they're going this direction with it. It's what the first movie could have been if they had the means to make it not terrible. I have a good feeling about this one.

original wasn't terrible; it had a lot of character and personality. its DNA is this fucked up kinda playfulness, though it's not a comedy until the second one.

this however, looks like just another one of those movies that we already have too many of. Reminds me of the Texas Chainsaw remake. Maybe the trailer, like Cabin in the Woods, is completely misleading.

[modage]

We just said the same thing!

The original is also great to see how much of Sam Raimi's personality as a filmmaker was already kinda fully formed in that first film.

Side note: Just watched the trailer for the remake again. I'm totally excited for this.

[polkablues]

For whatever reason, I really disliked the original. It has moments, for sure, but I don't think it particularly works as a movie at all.

I can see the Platinum Dunes comparison with the new one, but based on the trailer, it reminds me more of Alexandre Aja's fantastic The Hills Have Eyes remake than the lifeless TCM remake.

[RegularKarate]

Yeah, the original is far from terrible (kinda amazed that you would say so, Polka, considering the horror movies you seem to put up with in the horror movies thread).

I'm kind of excited about this, but with some hesitance for sure. I think the trailer looks pretty ballsy and gory (real, textural gore, not the lifeless crap you see in most horror movies today) and I really liked that they aren't going to try for the comedic tone of the second two movies (that would be awful).

I like that Raimi is behind this one, but it's still a remake.

[polkablues]

I accept that I'm alone on this one.

You guys probably wouldn't like how I feel about Dead Alive, either.

[Reel]

Polka doesn't like his horror fun, I've gleaned. He prefers it to be another 'Fu' word, Fuuuucccckkked up.