New 'Evil Dead' Movie Coming From 'The Hole In The Ground' Director Lee Cronin

A new Evil Dead movie is on the way, with a director handpicked by Sam Raimi. Lee Cronin, who helmed the very creepy Irish horror film The Hole in the Ground, is set to direct the flick, which is titled Evil Dead Now. The film won't bring back Bruce Campbell's Ash, nor will it be connected to Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead reboot, but will instead tell a brand new story in the Evil Dead world.

There have been rumblings of a new Evil Dead movie for a few years now, and it looks like it really is happening. Speaking with Empire, Ash himself, Bruce Campbell, confirmed that the new movie was in the works, and that it even has a director: Lee Cronin. "We're just getting off the phone with Lee Cronin, who is writing and directing the next Evil Dead," Campbell said. "It's called Evil Dead Now. Sam handpicked Lee – he did a cool movie called The Hole In The Ground. We're going to get that sucker out as soon as practical."

The Hole in the Ground is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Kanopy (in the U.S.) if you're curious to watch it. I caught the movie at TIFF a few years ago, and quite enjoyed it. It doesn't exactly tread new ground, but it's genuinely creepy, and Cronin's direction – which is stylish but never overbearing – is a big part of why it works. In short, I'm excited to see him tackling the world of the Evil Dead.

However, if you were hoping Evil Dead Now would bring back Ash, or maybe be connected to the 2013 reboot, you're in for some disappointment. As Campbell said: "From this point forward, they kind of have to stand on their own. Which is fine. And liberating. You could have different heroes, different heroines in this case. This one's gonna be a little more dynamic. We just want to keep the series current. And the mantra, really, is that our heroes and heroines are just regular people. That's what we're going to continue."

While I love to watch Campbell slip on his old chainsaw hand, I'm also fine with the series moving on without him. He had his chance to return with the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series, and since then, he's said multiple times he's done with the role. It's time to respect that. As for the 2013 Evil Dead, I loved the look of that film, and the overall vibe, but the script – which was full of paper-thin characters and groan-inducing dialogue – left a lot to be desired. Here's hoping Evil Dead Now avoids those pitfalls.