Bruce Campbell's 'Evil Dead Rise' cameo is a 'cryptic' tease for fans, says director
- Bruce Campbell doesn't show up as Ash Williams in "Evil Dead Rise," but he has a secret cameo.
- Director Lee Cronin told Insider that Campbell's cameo potentially means something bigger.
Bruce Campbell is synonymous with the "Evil Dead" franchise because of his iconic role as the lovably goofy hero Ash Williams, but he doesn't show up in the latest movie, "Evil Dead Rise."
Or does he?
The new movie sees Beth (Lily Sullivan) visit her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her kids in Los Angeles when Ellie is horrifically possessed by the Deadites after a new book of the dead emerges from the bowels of their apartment building.
It's a much different story to other movies in the franchise, which have revolved around that iconic cabin in the woods, or Ash's adventure through time in "Army of Darkness."
Speaking to Insider, director Lee Cronin explained that "Evil Dead" creator Sam Raimi, Campbell, and producer Rob Tapert had already taken Ash off the table before he joined the project. But he's proud that people are enjoying it without the chainsaw cowboy to lean on.
He explained: "They made it very clear that they didn't want a story with Ash in it, and not that I didn't want a story with Ash in it, but I wanted to tell my own story. I think that's something I'm really proud of, that people are enjoying this as an 'Evil Dead' movie, but also enjoying it as its own thing in a lot of ways."
However, Campbell makes a vocal appearance in a scene when Beth discovers crucial information that she needs in order to defeat the Deadites, and Cronin was quick to remind fans that Ash's time-traveling nature could be a clue to the cameo.
"There is a Bruce Campbell cameo, and that cameo potentially is actually Ash Williams," said the director. "Think about how time works for Ash as a character, and that voice that you may hear is captured on something that was recorded 100 years ago."
The Irish director added: "And the fact that his particular line is a warning showcases somebody that knows more than the other people in the room… I know that sounds very cryptic, but it's supposed to."
"Evil Dead Rise" is in theaters now.