The Evil Dead franchise has always been known for its excessive use of blood, which is probably why connoisseurs of flicks that bring the frights consider it one of the best horror movie franchises of all time. According to the writer and director of the upcoming fifth feature installment, Lee Cronin, the newest addition to the series, Evil Dead Rise, takes the gore to another level, as he revealed that the production used a whopping 1,700 gallons of sticky movie blood, and honestly, I’m shocked.
In a recent interview with Variety, the director revealed that so much blood was required for the highly anticipated upcoming horror movie that the production had to hire out an “industrial kitchen.” The filmmaker said:
We used 6,500 liters [1,717 gallons] of blood on the movie. That is real, sticky, cooked movie blood. We had to hire out this industrial kitchen to cook the blood and keep it fresh, be able to heat it up, because characters are covered in it. There was a lot of management of liquid in this movie. I wanted blood to be a character, so it was important we got the viscosity and look just right.
Cronin was not only focused on the use of blood in the film, but also on delivering a high-quality production that honored the legacy of the Evil Dead series and its creator, Sam Raimi.
Raimi got his start with the 1981 micro-budget first Dead movie, which led to two direct sequels, a spinoff series, a 2013 reboot, video games, comic books, and even a musical. This extensive legacy would probably scare some filmmakers away from a project, but not Cronin. The director impressed producers with his fresh take on the franchise. He continued to talk about his involvement with the franchise, saying:
I met with [producer] Rob Tapert and Sam in L.A. and gave them the pillars of the story. I had the conversation in a room with them for 15 minutes and left. My agents rang me and said, 'Evil Dead is yours.' And I’m like, 'What does that mean?' And they said, ‘It’s yours to lose if you don’t get it right.’ So then you really have to double down to start writing.
And “get it right,” Cronin seemingly has. Early reactions from Evil Dead Rise's premiere at SXSW warned that it pulls no punches. As the movie prepares for a wide release, early reviews of Cronin's film have praised the movie for ditching the cabin in the woods for an urban setting and introducing a family-centric story.
The official synopsis of Evil Dead Rise reveals that the film will be set in an urban environment, where a woman is tasked with protecting her nieces and nephews from their demon-possessed mother. This confirms earlier statements by director Lee Cronin, who hinted at a fresh take on the franchise by exploring new territory. While the series might be looking to tread new ground, one aspect of the old films the newest movie wisely retains is the visceral use of gore. Which should make longtime fans very happy.
It seems that director Lee Cronin–as the kids say–understood the assignment. Obviously, the introduction of younger characters did not make the movie makers compromise the gore factor, considering they used so much blood on set and may have, if critics are to be believed, even increased the intensity. If you’re eagerly anticipating the bloody release of Evil Dead Rise, mark your calendar for Friday, April 21, when it finally hits theaters.
You can also take a look at our 2023 Movie Releases calendar to keep track of other upcoming horror films.
