How The Next Two Evil Dead Movies Fit Into Franchise Timeline Explained By Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell, who portrays Ash in the Evil Dead series, has explained how the next two movies in the horror franchise will fall into its larger timeline. Following the success of 2023's Evil Dead Rise, it was announced in February 2024 that an Evil Dead spinoff was in production, with Sébastien Vaniček attached as director and co-writer alongside Florent Bernard. Then, in April 2024, it was revealed a second spinoff would also be entering development, written and directed by Francis Galluppi. The plots for both upcoming entries are under wraps.

Speaking with Screen Rant, Campbell teased how the new Evil Dead movies will fit into the larger timeline, explaining that it's not as planned out as something like George Lucas' Star Wars movies were. The actor teased that the franchise is beyond the original cabin and Ash, hinting at the upcoming movies feeling more like their own independent stories set in the same universe. However, he acknowledges the connective tissue that will also be present, helping bolster the films as part of the wider horror universe. Check out what Campbell had to say below:

Well, we're always going to make them pay some respects to the franchise. It's not even a franchise. This thing came out of really nowhere. It's been percolating for years in different directions. They just got to pay some homage. And there's always going to be a threat. So, it's not the George Lucas intricate, you know, Jabba the Hutt and Chapter 9, 10, 11, 12, told in reverse. It's not that, but there will be some of that. There has to be. Hey, we're out of the cabin. We're well out of the cabin now. We're well beyond Ash. We're two movies beyond Ash. So, the old guy, no one cares about him anymore. So, it's fine. It works good.

What Bruce Campbell's Statement Says About The Next Evil Dead Movies

They'll Potentially Be Independent Of One Another

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The end of Evil Dead Rise saw Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Kassie (Nell Fisher) escape the forces of the Necronomicon that had possessed their family in the apartment complex. However, the curse was later passed onto Jessica (Anna-Maree Thomas), who was shown to be a Deadite at the start of the movie. The film establishes that there are three Books of the Dead, with this one in particular requiring a possessed person to be completely destroyed in order to stop them. This expansion of the lore means plenty of possibilities for the next two movies.

Related Bruce Campbell's Evil Dead Rise Cameo Cleverly Avoids A Plot Hole With Sam Raimi's Original Trilogy Bruce Campbell has a subtle cameo in Evil Dead Rise through which this movie cleverly avoided an Ash Williams plot hole with Raimi's trilogy.

While it's unclear if one of the forthcoming films will be a direct sequel to Evil Dead Rise, Campbell's statement indicates it doesn't need to be for the franchise to keep expanding. Because there's no direct plan in place for the wider world of the series, it allows plenty of filmmaking freedom as Vaniček and Galluppi approach their projects in different ways. However, with series creator Sam Raimi and original producer Robert Tapert both producing the next installments, they'll be able to steer the franchise in a strong direction as it continues to evolve.

Our Take On Evil Dead's New Movies & Their Timeline Placement

They Should Do Their Own Thing While Honoring The Franchise

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Given the creative freedom surrounding the Evil Dead movies, which have been approached as both horror films and comedies in the past, there's plenty of different directions the new spinoffs can go. This includes everything from presentation to time period, with Army of Darkness previously proving the series can take place in any time period and still be engaging. While the lack of plot details make it difficult to decipher what's being planned for the franchise, it also means plenty of surprises are likely in store when a time period does get fully established.

The main Evil Dead franchise consists of five movies and a TV series, Ash vs. Evil Dead.