FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

IFTA AWARDS 2024

Evil Dead Rise

Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, "Evil Dead Rise" tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

Director: Lee Cronin
Writer: Lee Cronin
Production Company: Wild Atlantic Pictures

Filmmaker Q&A

Q: What was the genesis of this film, and how did it evolve over the course of development to production and completion?

• Lee Cronin (Writer/Director): "The journey on this film began with The Hole in the Ground premiering at Sundance in 2019. Sam Raimi - producer - had seen the movie and wanted to start the conversation with me about creating a new Evil Dead for modern times. I had an idea of family vs. evil, the concept of motherhood being challenged, and I spent a year developing the project. It was one of those rare occasions where the first draft of the script was the movie, and from thereon it was all about refinement and improvement for the audience experience."

Q: What did you feel was the most fulfilling element of working on this film?

• Lee: "One thing I always enjoy is having the opportunity to bring fantastically creative people together - in this case it was bringing Irish talent to New Zealand and New Zealand talent back home here to Ireland. It was truly wonderful to have a global team coming together with creative drive and a common purpose: to make the best movie possible. This movie was a very special co-production experience."

Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from the film?

• Lee: "DON’T READ FROM CREEPY BOOKS! But in all seriousness, I wanted to create a movie that was a terrifying rollercoaster ride for cinema goers around the world. But, scary movies only work when they have a deeper meaning and this film challenges the audience to question the darker side of motherhood, asking what happens when you have to face the most sinister version of family imaginable."

Q: To what extent was your on-screen talent vital to the success of the film?

• Lee: "They’re everything, because they embody the characters that you can only write in so many dimensions on a page. Not only did the actors breathe incredible life into the characters, they put in stunning physical performances and had to shoe incredible endurance on a really long shoot - they went through the ringer for this film."

Q: What’s the most interesting/inspiring piece of feedback you’ve received from people who have seen the film?

• Lee: "One of the most inspiring things was during the promotion of the movie here in Ireland, when I got to meet lots of young people who are getting into the idea of becoming filmmakers. They all offered such great insight and feedback and it was so refreshing to hear their excitement that an Irish filmmaker would make a movie like this. One particular highlight was when I met a kid at a Forbidden Planet signing in Dublin who had come along from my home town in Skerries, and hearing him say that he loved the film and wanted to make horror movies like I do, that was extremely humbling."

Q: Can you speak to the growth in the Irish film industry in recent years and how it helped your film get off the ground?

• Lee: "The industry here has continued to expand as the support from Screen Ireland and other funders has grown year on year. With everything creative that you do, there’s a line you can draw back to the beginning. For me, the support of so many people in the Irish film industry put me in the position to make my first feature film. Without the first, I couldn’t have made my second. Evil Dead Rise might be set in America, but it was important to me to have masses of Irish talent involved, allowing me to put a little bit back into the growth of the industry here."

Q: Tell us a little bit about your journey as a filmmaker to get to where you are now?

• Lee: "It’s been a slow crawl, but I’ve always had a clear ambition that I wanted to make movies that could appeal to broad audiences; movies that are entertaining and can fill a dark room and move people, be that by making them scream or laugh or hide behind their fingers. The journey to get here has been hard - and I’m not all the way there by any means - but I’ve always had a view of where I wanted to go. I started making short films as a child with action figures in my back garden, and now I’m getting to show features on the big screen for a global audience. I hope I can continue to do this for many more years."

Q: Why is it important to see your work represented at the IFTAs and to be acknowledged by your peers in the Irish film community?

• Lee: "I am an Irish filmmaker, it’s in the DNA of everything I do. I always look to work with Irish talent and it’s been a real joy to bring so many great people from home on board for this movie. From the producers, ADs, designers, post-production, sound, score, VFX - it’s not just for me, being at the IFTAs is recognition for the amazingly talented team of Irish creatives that worked on this movie and brought it to life."