Well, well, well, if it isn't Fede Álvarez giving a little treat to fans on the anniversary of the filmmaker's 2013 Evil Dead. Specifically, the director has revealed a never-before-seen alternate ending to the remake, which sees our protagonist Mia, played by Jane Levy, being taken by "the force" in what would have been a bit of a big homage to Sam Raimi's original horror classic. Have a look for yourself
Here it is. This is what was written originally. But Sam Raimi (wisely) pointed out “after everything she’s been through, she deserves to live” so I rewrote it to the actual ending. (@jcolburnlevy let out one of her best screams in the movie on this take) #EvilDead9years pic.twitter.com/q0PFWCT7Pw
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) April 6, 2022
While the footage is brief, it does provide an entirely different way of concluding the film, which is a remake of the original, though Bruce Campbell's cameo as Ash Williams in the post-credits scene always left the door open for exploring its place further. In any event, this ending would have been an homage to Ash's original The Evil Dead ending. As for why Álvarez went with the ending that sees Mia walking off after her battle with the forces of evil to find help? That remains a bit unclear. However, Álvarez also revealed the actual page from the original draft of the script for this scene, which added more carnage to the equation.
Here. I found the page from the first draft. There was a bit more action to follow the force catching up with her. #EvilDead9years pic.twitter.com/hJ7UAB6k4K
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) April 6, 2022
This has become something of a tradition for Álvarez. Every year on the anniversary of the movie's release, he shares some interesting tidbits and goods from behind the scenes. Though it is arguable that this alternate ending is by far the most significant thing he's shared to date. In keeping with the tradition, the director shared a look at some of his personal Polaroid photos from the production in a little video on Twitter as well.
This is my personal collection of Polaroids from set #EvilDead9years Never shared these before, so I hope u enjoy them! pic.twitter.com/lMrEiwqC2b
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) April 6, 2022
Released in April of 2013, Evil Dead was the first movie in the franchise in more than two decades, following Army of Darkness in 1992. It proved a big hit, taking in more than $97 million worldwide. Be that as it may, a sequel never got made. The movie was followed by the Ash vs Evil Dead series, which saw Campbell return as Ash Williams, with the show running for three seasons.
It still figures to be a big year for fans of the franchise. For one, we have Evil Dead: The Game on the way, which will see Campbell voicing Ash once again. That is a nice treat as the actor has retired from playing the role in the live-action realm. Beyond that, Raimi, Campbell, and producer Rob Tapert are reuniting for Evil Dead Rise, the first new film in the series since the 2013 remake, which is set to debut on HBO Max sometime this year. It was directed by Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground), and yes, it will be R-rated.
Evil Dead is currently streaming on Starz, click below to watch now.
