The man who told us all how and where to shop – “Shop smart. Shop S-Mart” – is heading to the small screen thanks to Starz and their new series; Ash vs Evil Dead.
While the Evil Dead series was originally planned to continue in the form of a sequel to 2014’s reboot, those plans were scrapped in favor of the TV series. Ash vs Evil Dead not only takes us back to the original continuity (and I use this term loosely) of the films, it will bring back the first and best threat to the evil Deadites – Ashley J. Williams, played by cult hero Bruce Campbell. Starz has ordered a 10-episode first season, and we’ve heard a bit of news from the series over the last few weeks as it gears up for production.
The first bit, and arguably the most exciting, is that Sam Raimi will return to the franchise to direct the pilot episode of Ash vs Evil Dead, from a script he co-wrote with Ivan Raimi, Craig DiGregorio, and Tom Spezialy. He will also executive produce the series alongside longtime collaborators Rob Tapert and Campbell, with DiGregorio acting as executive producer/showrunner.
As for where and when we will be seeing Ash for the first time since 1992’s Army of Darkness, an early plot description gives us quite a bit to go on:
We are introduced to a nomadic Ash, a figure who’s not only haunted by traumatic memories but also terrorized by the unwelcome continuance of Deadite attacks, which have followed him to the myriad Midwestern trailer parks he’s been forced to call home. In an effort to eke out an existence and in keeping with his previous choice of career, the character spends his days working at Ted’s Superclub as a stock room trainee and, in true Ash fashion, his evenings chasing skirt in roadside bars.
Bruce Campbell also revealed a bit more on this version of Ash in a recent interview:
“I’m bringing everything to the table. It’s a feisty version of Ash, who’s grizzled and just wants to be left alone.”
This makes a lot of sense for the character, especially considering his past with the Deadites and well documented demeanor. Of course, he won’t be tackling this possessive evil on his own, as a few other cast members have been announced.
He will be joined by Dana DeLorenzo (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson) and Ray Santiago (Raising Hope), with character descriptions below:
Santiago will play the role of Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick and believes in Ash’s heroism even if Ash himself doesn’t. DeLorenzo will play Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past and who is reluctantly dragged into the fight against Evil with Ash and Pablo. Kelly finds a different kind of family with her fellow Deadite slayers.
Most recently, it was announced that Jill Marie Jones (Girlfriends) will be joining the cast as the female lead. Jones didn’t make her own twitter announcement or anything, but she did retweet the one below.
. @MsJillMJones joins @GroovyBruce in #AshVsEvilDead! Plus some new plot details revealed! http://t.co/nFBoMXYQK0 pic.twitter.com/8Dp25UdzDg
— Arrow in the Head (@arrowinthehead) February 19, 2015
Her character description below reveals a bit more of the initial plot of the series, and how she will come in to contact with Ash:
After the grisly murder of her partner, disgraced Michigan State Trooper Amanda Fisher sets out to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility for the crime. But as she soon learns, Ash and his cohorts may be mankind’s only hope against the plague of Evil Dead.
The series will shoot in New Zealand beginning in April, with the first episode hoping to premiere on Halloween of 2015. Campbell continued to discuss the planned length of the series, as well as some of the TV competition they will face:
“It’s an epic tale,” said Campbell. “How could you not [plan for that]? I’m a strong proponent of the ‘big picture’ plan, and we are planning for five seasons. We are competitive with ‘The Walking Dead,’ like, ‘We’ll show those fuckers!’ [Our] Deadites are very clever. They’re not stupid shufflers. They can mimic people; they can drive cars. They’re a fun threat. They [‘The Walking Dead’] are right up there [though] with being responsible for the current resurgence [of horror].”
This already sounds like it’s really delving into the heart of what made the Evil Dead series such a cult hit, and we couldn’t be more excited to see Ash vs Evil Dead hit the small screen.
What do you think of the Evil Dead series on the boomtube? Should they have left Ash alone and continued with the rebooted movie universe? Are you excited to see the new, older version of Ash? Let us know in the comments section below or join the discussion on the GrizzlyBomb Facebook page!
Oh, and did we mention that DeLorenzo headlines an Amy Winehouse cover band?
Images: Twitter (Arrow in the Head, Dana, & Ray), ReactionGifs, Universal Pictures
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