Evil Dead Rise has a lot it can learn from the mistakes Ghostbusters: Afterlife made. After the wildly divisive 2016 Ghostbusters requel, Sony sought to placate uneasy Ghostbusters fans with a more traditional sequel. Ghostbusters: Afterlife acts as a reboot in that it follows all-new characters in an all-new setting. Similarly, the upcoming film Evil Dead Rise plans on acting as a reboot of the Evil Dead franchise following a new cast of characters.
This isn’t the first time the Evil Dead franchise has rebooted itself. In 2013, Fede Alvarez helmed a more horror-oriented remake of The Evil Dead. The remake is straightforward, as it follows a new cast of characters that mostly fill the same roles as the original cast. Fede Alvarez’s legacy is tied to classic horror and that translates into the 2013 remake’s creative approach. Evil Dead Rise, however, will somewhat reinvent the franchise as it’s seeking to discard the decrepit Knowby cabin for a cramped Los Angeles apartment building. Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s premise is very similar in that it takes place in a small town, far away from the bustling New York environment, choosing to focus on a cast of child characters that evoke Stephen King stories and Stranger Things.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, however, makes some missteps as a reboot. Due to their similarities, it’s possible Evil Dead Rise may make the same mistakes that Ghostbusters: Afterlife did. It’s important that Evil Dead Rise remains its own story while still retaining the spirit of the Evil Dead franchise, or else it will have the same problems to overcome as Ghostbusters 4. If it relies too heavily on nostalgia and fan service, it will be weighed down.
Why Evil Dead’s Reboot Needs To Be Its Own Story
Ghostbusters: Afterlife did a good job of establishing fresh new characters, only to ultimately discard them in the final act of the film in favor of giving the original Ghostbusters crew a moment to shine. Evil Dead Rise needs to avoid the same mistake by staying away from familiar Evil Dead characters such as Ash Williams, focusing on giving its new characters complete and fulfilling arcs. Similarly, Ghostbusters: Afterlife made the mistake of using Gozer as the villain all over again, even though the film had limitless freedom to create a new ghost villain or even bring in a popular ghost from The Real Ghostbusters animated TV show. Evil Dead Rise should go beyond just repackaging the Kandarian demon again in a new setting (though its inclusion is, of course, essential).
While it’s important for Evil Dead Rise to be its own story, it shouldn’t betray the greater franchise’s established tone, however. Despite Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s dedication to canonically acknowledging its connection to the original film, its world doesn’t much feel like a Ghostbusters film tonally. While the original Ghostbusters is colorful and goofy, Afterlife feels muted and subdued. Evil Dead Rise should not make the same mistake of making it more serious and gritty, as Evil Dead’s goofy camp is a hallmark of the series. Evil Dead Rise can avoid Ghostbusters: Afterlife‘s issues by relying on its own new characters to tell a standalone story that evokes the same goofy, gory horror that the original Evil Dead films do
