Evil Dead Rise Interview Reveals Original Plan

Anyone familiar with the Evil Dead franchise wouldn’t be shocked to hear that Evil Dead Rise is a gore-soaked rollercoaster ride. As is typical for this long-standing series, only some characters survive. When crafting the script, director Lee Cronin let his creativity flow freely, but he did have some limits – one of which was the decision not to kill the cat. During a recent Evil Dead Rise interview, Cronin shared that earlier film drafts weren’t as kind to the cat. Heads up! This article contains spoilers for Evil Dead Rise. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and want to avoid any spoilers, stop reading now.

In the final version, we only hear about the cat’s off-screen escapades in the air ducts. However, earlier script versions had the cat eaten by the possessed Ellie or even transformed into a deadite.

Cronin explains, 

“It was written. Oh, it was written where you actually see crawling through the and she’s finishing off the cat, just swallowing the tail.” He continues, “Then there was… but our budget never allowed this… I wanted – you know the hatch that opens in the back of Danny’s bedroom – I wanted Kassie and Beth to escape that way. You think things are getting to safety, and then they come across a deadite cat.”

In the end, Cronin realized that harming animals on screen tends to alienate audiences. During a Q&A session and Evil Dead Rise interview, the audience cheered when he revealed the cat survived. To make it clear, he even chose a take showing the cat running away. So, the kitty must be the luckiest living creature in the franchise!

Evil Dead Rise Interview Reveals Kassi’s Death

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Evil Dead Rise, starring Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland, focuses on sisters Beth and Ellie. However, their strained relationship gets worse when Ellie’s children, Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher), find a mysterious book in a bunker beneath their Los Angeles high-rise. Unknowingly, the kids bring the book to their apartment and unleash a powerful demon that possesses their mother. So, pregnant Beth must then protect her nieces and nephew during 12 hours of terror.

In the Evil Dead Rise interview, Cronin discussed if he ever considered killing off nine-year-old Kassie too. Naturally, the trailers showed Bridget as the first of the children to become possessed after Ellie, followed by Danny. Given the Evil Dead tradition of having only one survivor, we assumed Beth would be the last one standing! 

Cronin responded:

“I guess so, because when I’m starting to develop something, I won’t shut down any avenue. I won’t go, ‘I’m definitely not doing that.’ I’m going to let the themes and the story lead my choices. I always try to lean into what it is that I’m writing.”

However, Cronin ultimately decided against it:

“I think it would have lost people in a way. There’s suffering within that family already.” 

He adds,

“I knew from the start, I wanted Beth to walk out and family can’t be one person. At the very least, a family has to be two people and there’s a little bit of hope at the end of the movie because families in life get destroyed by bad things all the time; by death, by trauma by circumstance, so many things, but family can survive. So I wanted that little bit of hope, with the survivors walking away.”

Clearly, this Evil Dead Rise interview shows that Kassi may have died originally.

Evil Dead Franchise

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Of course, the Evil Dead franchise has captivated and terrified audiences since 1981, when the original film, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell, was released. Known for its campy humor and gruesome horror, the series has produced numerous sequels, a reboot, and even a television show, “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” from 2015 to 2018.

Fans of the franchise have been eagerly awaiting Evil Dead Rise. Originally, they hoped for the same thrilling blend of horror and humor that has made the series so iconic. Throughout the years, the Evil Dead series has consistently pushed the envelope regarding gore, creative and practical effects, and unforgettable one-liners. However, the newest film focuses mostly on gore and horror instead of humor. Naturally, the Evil Dead Rise interview revealed this was a conscious decision.

So, whether you’re a longtime fan of the Evil Dead series or just discovering it for the first time, check out Evil Dead Rise in theaters now!

Hi! I'm Arvyn, and I'm an English teacher from the UK. I've been teaching English online for over 4 years to students from all across the world and all ages. Outside of work, I'm a huge fan of reading, video games, and playing with my adorable kitties. See ya!