Bruce Campbell Confirms 'Army of Darkness' Sequel!

Friends, Romans, horror movie nerds, lend me your ears! Whether you know it or not, we are all fortunate to be living in an exciting time. Wrist-watch communicators will soon be the norm, the flying car has finally been invented, and you can now order a taco constructed entirely out of Dorito material. If those societal advancements are not enough for you, then consider that Bruce Campbell just recently confirmed that a sequel to Army of Darkness is going to be made, and that he would, in fact, be starring in it.

If you’re wondering why film nerds like myself are popping champagne bottles, it’s because we’re all alcoholics. But even more than that, it’s because many of us have been waiting for nearly 20 years for a follow-up to what is considered to be one of the greatest cult horror films of all time. Still don’t know what the heck I’m talking about? Well, let me lay a little film history down on you.

In 1983, the year in which yours truly was born, Sam Raimi and a couple of his friends managed to save around $200 and decided to put that money to good use by making a scary movie. The product of their efforts was The Evil Dead, a story about 4 young adults battling demons, trees, and POV camera shots in a cabin in the middle of the woods. Cast your eyes downward and behold the glory that is The Evil Dead.

Now even I have to admit that, after watching the trailer, the movie does look kind of spiffy. Well, let me assure you that this trailer does a very good job at masking some of the poorer elements of the film: namely, the visuals. Oh, I don't mean to bash the film. I love The Evil Dead just like many others out there. It’s a fun albeit inadvertently campy little roller-coaster ride of a film, and I have nothing but respect for what the filmmakers were able to accomplish with the meager funds at their disposal. The movie gained enough of a cult following (including Stephen King) so that eventually a sequel came into demand. And that’s when things got groovy.

Can you spot the difference? That’s correct, my little pretties. When making Evil Dead 2, they decided to embrace the campiness that was peppered throughout the first film and set about making one of the greatest horror comedies of all time. For those of you that can’t quite see how the two trailers differ from one another, then allow me to illustrate my point even further. If you ever wondered why so many people love Bruce Campbell, then peep this (warning, probably NSFW):

Yup, that’s why Bruce is the king. And with that, we finally come to the third entry to the series, Army of Darkness. At the end of Evil Dead 2, Ash is sucked into a time vortex and spat out at some point during the Middle Ages. There he must continue his war with the Deadites (the demons from the first two movies) while trying to figure out how to make his way back to the present. Check out the trailer below.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that it looks like a damn-near perfect film. Well, by jove, you are correct, and I raise a glass to your astuteness. The cooky comedy of Evil Dead 2 is turned up to 11 while also combining it with elements from the Action and Fantasy genres. I won’t spoil how this one ends, but suffice it to say that it left the door wide open for the possibility of a sequel. And it never damned well happened. Now, personally, I was kind of all right living in a world without another Evil Dead movie. Of course part of me wanted to see another one, but the other part of me was content with the fact that we got three movies and that maybe quitting while ahead was a good thing. Then we got the Evil Dead remake...

Now, for those of you playing the home game, you’ll know that I’ve previously written about how much I loved this remake. It’s actually one of my favorite movies of 2013. It captured the spirit of the original Evil Dead and included some wonderful homages to it while still being able to stand on its own two feet as something new and original. Well, I guess the 2013 remake sparked a little something in Sam Raimi, who also produced the film as well, because shortly after it was released, he hinted that he and his brother Ivan Raimi were thinking about writing a sequel to Army of Darkness. Then, a little while later, we heard from Fede Alvaraez, the director of Evil Dead 2013, that Sam Raimi was indeed working on a sequel to his beloved cult classic. But none of us would truly be appeased until we heard the words from The King himself. Skip to 20:22 in the video below:

He tap-dances around the question like Billy Flynn during a stressful court date, and because of that, I think the audience was a little confused, which may explain why a small riot didn’t erupt. But at the end of his little routine, the man did, in fact, say YES. We obviously won’t know much more until the screenplay is finished and the film actually goes into production, but it’s exciting to know that, after more than 20 years, some positive moves are actually being made towards realizing the dreams of dozens of nerdy fans out there like myself. So, to Sam and Ivan Raimi, I wish you all of the best in your writing endeavors. May the forces of grooviness watch over this long-awaited sequel.

Photo via JLN Photography/WENN.