The Evil Dead film franchise has returned to theaters for the first time in a decade. Now fans may be wondering if this new installment, Evil Dead Rise, contains an appearance from franchise veteran Bruce Campbell.
The beloved actor played Ash Williams in all three original Evil Dead films. He also returned as the character for the television series in Ash vs Evil Dead. And, considering he had a brief cameo after the end credits of the 2013 remake, it wouldn’t be surprising to expect a similar appearance in Rise. Well, interestingly enough, he has a much different hidden role in the film.
The cameo plays out when young Danny uses his turntable to play a few records he uncovered along with the Book of the Dead. The majority of the recordings consist of a priest as he discusses the book and the consequences of reading from it. When he first announces his plans to do so, however, Bruce Campbell’s voice can be heard yelling the following line:
“Destroy it! It’s called the Book of the Dead for a reason!”
As shared in an interview with NME, director Lee Cronin suggests Bruce Campbell could even be in character as Ash Williams when he says the line.
“Bruce came over to Ireland when we were working on the sound and I asked him if he would do this teeny, tiny, little cameo for me. And the fun part is, that’s not necessarily Bruce Campbell playing someone else – that could very well be Ash Williams.”
So not only does Bruce Campbell have a cameo in Evil Dead Rise – but potentially as Ash Williams. For a character that’s traveled in time before, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising. Perhaps we’ll see the continuity between installments only become clearer in the coming years.
Lee Cronin directed the film while original Evil Dead veterans Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert produced the film.
The film’s cast includes Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan, as well as Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Mia Challis, and Nell Fisher.
Fans can currently see Evil Dead Rise in theaters. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates on the newly-released flick and the future of the Evil Dead franchise as we have them.