A 45-year-old horror franchise that’s still active can teach a lot to modern horror movies. The horror genre has gone through many ups and downs for decades, with key ones like the 1980s and 2000s bringing titles that now rank among the best movies of all time. The horror genre has had a great run since the mid-2010s, with original works, adaptations, and sequels.
Modern horror has found great success with psychological horror movies like Hereditary and slashers like Terrifier, while franchises like Final Destination and Scream go through revivals. However, modern horror movies can learn a lot from the Evil Dead franchise, which has been a consistent success and continues to be quite popular decades after its beginning.
The Evil Dead Franchise Has Reworked Itself Since 1987
In 1981, Sam Raimi brought The Evil Dead, a supernatural horror movie written by him that follows five friends, among them Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell), as they go to an isolated cabin in the woods for vacation. There, they find a mysterious audiotape that, after they play it, unleashes a legion of demons and evil forces.
One by one, Ash’s friends are possessed by the title “evil dead” and turned into “deadites”, and by the end of the night, he’s the sole survivor. The Evil Dead was a critical and commercial success, and it spawned a franchise that currently has seven movies (including one in development), a TV show, and various video games and comic books.
The Evil Dead franchise is still active and very popular among horror fans, and the key to its success and popularity is how it has constantly reworked itself since 1987, with the release of Evil Dead II. The second movie in the franchise is a sequel to the original movie but a retcon of it, as well, with Ash going to the cabin with his girlfriend instead of his friends.
The biggest change in Evil Dead II, however, is its tone, as it’s a comedy horror movie, completely different from the first movie. The third movie, Army of Darkness, continued on this comedy-horror path, which allowed it to expand Ash’s story and this world to unexpected levels. The franchise reworked itself one more time in 2013 with the Evil Dead remake, going on a more supernatural, gritty, and gory route.
A decade later, the franchise returned with Evil Dead Rise, which continued on the path of supernatural horror, with high gore, dark comedy, and a claustrophobic environment. On top of all this, the Evil Dead franchise also successfully changed protagonists, from Ash to Mia to Beth and her niece Kassie, and it’s now about to introduce a new lead.
The Evil Dead Franchise Broke A Risky Horror Trend
The Evil Dead franchise keeps expanding, and 2026 will see the release of Evil Dead Burn, directed by Sébastien Vaniček. Evil Dead Burn is scheduled for a July 24, 2026, release, but the third movie in this current timeline, Evil Dead Wrath, is officially in production. Wrath is directed by Francis Galluppi, and it’s projected for a 2027 release.
Moving forward with a sequel or just planning it before the previous movie is out is always a risky move, especially in horror, and there are recent examples of that. The Exorcist franchise tried to make a comeback with The Exorcist: Believer, which was planned to be the beginning of a new trilogy, with the sequel titled The Exorcist: Deceiver.
However, Believer was a critical failure, and plans for a trilogy were scrapped. Instead, The Exorcist franchise is now being rebooted with Mike Flanagan’s help, with a movie separate from Believer. The Evil Dead has proven to be consistent and innovative enough to make such a risky move, and hopefully, Burn and Wrath will succeed as expected.
Will There Be More Evil Dead Movies After Wrath (& Will Ash Return)?
In 2023, Sam Raimi expressed interest in multiple sequels where Bruce Campbell would return as Ash Williams, as well as movies that would bring Mia back (via Empire). That same year, Campbell shared that he, Sam Raimi, and Ivan Raimi were working on an Evil Dead bible to outline the franchise’s future and release plan (via The AV Club).
While the intention and plans for more Evil Dead movies after Wrath are there, nothing is confirmed at the moment. As for Ash’s potential return, Campbell seems more open to it now, but with the condition of having Raimi as director again. The future of the Evil Dead franchise will depend on Wrath, but it already looks bright.
Sources: Empire, The AV Club.
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Evil Dead Burn
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
- Director
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Sébastien Vanicek
- Writers
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Florent Bernard, Sébastien Vanicek
- Producers
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Robert Tapert
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Evil Dead Wrath
- Director
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Francis Galluppi
- Writers
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Francis Galluppi
- Producers
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Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi
