Evil Dead Rise is the biggest money maker of the Evil Dead series. Per Collider, the film is set to finish weekend with another $5.6 million earned at the domestic box office, upping the total to around $54 million. Factoring in overseas ticket sales brings the worldwide total up to more than $100 million. That milestone also puts Evil Dead Rise as the highest-grossing installment of the franchise, as the record was previously held by the 2013 reboot at $97 million. With a budget of less than $20 million, Evil Dead Rise is rolling in huge profits, making it all the more worth it to release the film exclusively in theaters instead of streaming on HBO Max.
Of course, times have changed, and the original Evil Dead movies are all considered cult classics that have continued to make countless money with home video releases and other merchandise. With that said, the original Evil Dead movie from 1981 grossed around $29 million worldwide, while its sequel, 1987’s Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, grossed just under $6 million. The third movie, Army of Darkness, was released in 1992 and grossed around $21.5 million at the worldwide box office. With a global total of $97 million, the 2013 reboot earned just over $54 million domestically, and Evil Dead Rise is set to surpass that number this weekend as well.
The film has also been largely well-received by critics and audiences. It has an 84% certified fresh rating, always a plus given how critics all too often dislike horror films, and its audience score itsn’t too far behind at 77%. The scores are notably hire than 2013’s Evil Dead, with its 63% approval rating and 64% audience score. If you’re wondering, the original film sits at 85% and 84%, while Evil Dead 2 is at 88% and 89%, followed by Army of Darkness at 69% and 87%.
Evil Dead Rise Wasn’t Going to Screen in Theaters
Evil Dead Rise was originally greenlit for a streaming release on HBO Max. However, that plan was changed after test screenings drew very positive reactions for the film. Executive producer Bruce Campbell said last year that it might go theatrical given the praise it was getting with early screenings, a prediction that turned out to be accurate.
“We just had a preview that went… That was very high ratings,” Campbell said, via JoBlo. “They were potentially going to stream it on HBO Max, but it might go theatrical. Maybe in the fall.”
Campbell does have a special appearance of sorts in the film, though there’s no Ash to be seen in the movie, as it focuses on new protagonists. The film takes place in a high-rise apartment building where two estranged sisters reunite and fight to save their family when the structure is targeted by Deadites. Lee Cronin wrote and directed the film, and it stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher.
Evil Dead Rise is playing in movie theaters.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
