Summary
TheEvil Deadfranchise’s push to the small screen might not have gotten too far along back in the 2010s, but there’s still life in the project as the franchise’s fan-favorite leading man gives an update on a move he first hinted at years ago.
TheEvil Deadfranchise has been a mainstay in the world of horror since the creator Sam Raimi introduced the world to his humorous indie-style take on the popular undead concept. The first film would spawn a successful trilogy as well as a reboot and, most recently, a standalone film inEvil Dead Rise.The franchise also has a presence in other media, including video games, comic books, and even two different musicals, one of which is written to feature Elvis. While theEvil Deadfranchise has shown how to build a horror franchisewith longevity and seen encouraging success all the way, there’s really only been one instance of a proper TV series for the franchise, which would end in 2018 despite still having a story to tell and would be followed by the retirement of Bruce Campbell as Ash.
This unfortunate truncation would sting less when franchise leading manCampbell gave fans promising updates on a newEvil Deadanimated TV seriesthat would make good on finishing the story from the live-action seriesAsh Vs. Evil Dead. While there has been some doubt in the interim period, which also sawEvil Dead Riserelease, the man himself has confirmed that things are still well underway. In a recent interview withEntertainment Weeklydiscussing his career, Campbell confirmed that the animated series is on course for release, saying, “We are developing an animated version, like a series. I’ll do that. I’ll do Ash’s voice all day long because my voice hasn’t aged as much as I have.” The iconic star also praised the franchise’s ability to work independently of any singular creative or actor, reiterating his commitment to retire from the live-action role of Ash Williams.
We’re out of the cabin, Sam [Raimi] doesn’t have to direct, I don’t have to star as Ash. The trick is to take the elements that people like, which is innocent people being tortured by a malicious entity, and it’s people who have no skills to stop it.
Campbell has alreadyreprised his role as Ash in the capacity of voice actor forEvil Dead: The Gamewith great success, and there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that he could work great in an animated series. While there are some issues with continuing the story started in a live-action series with an animated one, the horror genre is a niche interest and theEvil Deadfranchise is an even smaller subsection of that. The core fans will certainly be glad to have more content outside of the mainline films, especially with Campbell directly involved. For his part, Campbell has really taken to being the face of the franchise well, and any awareness fans might have about the upcoming series can directly be attributed to him.
TheEvil Deadfranchise has arguably given fans Cambell’s best work, and having him reprise his iconic role in animated form allows that legacy to keep on going without forcing the star to play the part in front of a camera after making the decision to walk away. If the animated series manages to capture the essence of the franchise in quite the same way that fans hope it will, then Ash might be here to stay for an even longer period than before.
