Groovy! ‘The Evil Dead’ Coming Back to Theaters for 40th Anniversary Event

Get out your denim and your chainsaws, because The Evil Dead is coming to theaters for one night only.

Fathom Events and Grindhouse Releasing will bring writer/director Sam Raimi‘s 1981 indie horror classic back to theaters nationwide for its 40th anniversary. The best part? The King himself, Bruce Campbell, Mr. Ashley Joanna “Ash” Williams, will give an exclusive introduction.

Bruce on the Big Screen

The Evil Dead 40th Anniversary comes to movie theaters nationwide on Thursday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. (local time).

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Campbell shared that while he’s excited about the anniversary celebration, he doesn’t exactly agree on the number of years it’s been.

“I would not call it the 40th anniversary, I would call it the 42nd anniversary,” Campbell said. “There’s always a difference between when the movie actually got shot and when it came out. And with Evil Dead, it was about two or three years difference, because we filmed it in 1979, so we’re coming up on 42-odd years later. But it’s fun to celebrate it!”

He also shared that his introduction is being shot at a drive-in theater, and that he’s thankful for the longevity of the film’s success.

“I think it’s a good opportunity to look back and be grateful that it hung around this long. People still seem to want to watch it, they still seem to enjoy it. It’s on to the next generation now. It’s not even the original fans. Their children have been introduced to it now. So it’s my job just to keep perpetuating it.”

Campbell also took a moment to warn fans of the sequels or television series that the first film is a completely different beast.

“If you have not seen it, not much will prepare you for it! It is an unrated movie, so you have to be prepared for that. There are elements that some people would find very disturbing. So I would say it’s not for the faint of heart, but those people who like it, really like it,” he said. “Each movie of the three is weirdly different. The first Evil Dead is kind of a melodrama, a lot of laughs come out of the excessive effects and hokey dialogue, and bad acting.”

The Groovy Details

The Evil Dead spawned a whole franchise, including its sequels, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, a 2013 remake/reboot, several video games, and the Ash vs. Evil Dead television series. The latest installment in the series, Evil Dead Rise, began filming in June and is set to come to HBOMax in the near future.

Tickets for the 40th anniversary event go on sale Friday, August 13 at www.FathomEvents.com and through participating cinema box offices.

The Evil Dead follows Ash, his girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker), his sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), and their friends Scotty (Hal Delrich) and Shelly (Sarah York). The young twenty-somethings drive out to a remote cabin in the woods for a fun vacation, only to discover the Book of the Dead inside the cabin. After reading some of the book out loud (inspiring a trope for years to come), they summon the forces of evil and must fight for their lives.

In addition to the theatrical re-release, Lionsgate Home Entertainment will also be releasing a collectible box set of The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and all three seasons of Ash vs. Evil Dead this fall. More details to come.

You can catch the Deadites in all of their gory glory on the big screen on October 7, 2021. 

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