Despite leading lady Lily Collins having dropped out over scheduling issues, the casting process for the Evil Dead reboot continues apace, with a new name having been added to the project. However, this is no replacement for Collins, but rather a new leading man...

Shiloh Fernandez is the latest name on the cast sheet, and will take the role that Variety describes as the "male lead". If you don't recognise the name, Fernandez is best known for having played Peter in last year's Red Riding Hood.

If he's going to be the leading man, does that mean he'll be taking on the Bruce Campbell role? Well, character details are slim at present, but there could be room for the cowardly incarnation seen in the original film.

The story focuses upon a group of five youngsters, who take a trip to a secluded cabin when one of their number (the character earmarked for Lily Collins) decides she needs some time out to recover from a drug problem.

The two male roles on offer are David and Eric. The first is a mechanic who's engaged to one of the girls in the group, whilst the second is thought to be the one who triggers the Necronomicon's terrible powers. We reckon Fernandez is in line for the latter...

Directed by Fede Alvarez from a script co-written by Diablo Cody, The Evil Dead will open in US cinemas on 12 April 2013, with a UK date yet to be confirmed. We hope one of those kids thought to bring a boomstick with them... Source: www.totalfilm.com

Lily Collins drops out of Evil Dead remake [25th January 2012 00:00:00]

Bad news for those of you hoping to see a Phil Collins cameo as a big, bald Deadite in the upcoming Evil Dead reboot, as his daughter Lily has dropped out of the film's leading role.

Collins had signed on to play recovering drug-addict Mia, whose attempts to wean herself off the narcotics are set to be complicated by the soul-sucking nasties released by the Necronomicon.

However, scheduling clashes with other projects have meant Collins has been forced to step down from the role. Variety's Jeff Sneider broke the news with the following Tweet: "Again, in case you missed it, LILY COLLINS is OUT of THE EVIL DEAD reboot due to a scheduling issue. Agents, start your engines..."

The new film, directed by Fede Alvarez from a script worked on (in part) by Diablo Cody will maintain the basic set-up of the original (kids go to a creepy woodland cabin) whilst also taking it in some new directions.

The official synopsis explains the differences as follows: "Mia and David, estranged siblings who have recently lost their mother (Mia's taking it the hardest being that she's the one who spent most days at the hospital watching her mother deteriorate) have reunited, along with some old friends and his David's fiancee, for an intervention at THAT old cabin. It's here that the near rehabilitated Mia will also toss the last of her drugs down the well and finally go cold turkey."

The Evil Dead is set for a US release date of 13 April 2013, so plenty of time for a replacement to be found for Collins. As long as there's room for a Bruce Campbell cameo, we'll be happy... Source: www.totalfilm.com

Lily Collins to star in Evil Dead remake [31st December 2011 22:00:00]

The long-awaited Evil Dead remake is close to making its first piece of major casting, with the announcement that Mirror Mirror's Lily Collins is on the brink of signing on to star.

Collins is in line to play a character named "Mia", who we understand is one of the five friends who decide to take an ill-advised trip to a remote cabin in the woods.

As in the original film, the gang discovers a dusty tome known as The Necronomicon, from which reading a passage out loud results in all hell breaking loose, and various souls being swallowed.

According to Bloody Disgusting, Mia has recently suffered a drug overdose and is looking forward to a weekend of detox at the cabin. Therefore, when she starts claiming to have been attacked by the trees outside, her friends just assume it's some sort of post-traumatic paranoia.

We're not sure how well Collins' casting will go down with Evil Dead fans after the cutesy awfulness of the Mirror Mirror trailer, but then again, this is hardly a project that's been bathed in universal adoration from the get go...

Directed by Fede Alvarez from a script co-written with Rodo Sayagues and Diablo Cody, The Evil Dead opens in the US on 12 April 2013. Source: www.totalfilm.com

Sony will release Evil Dead remake [30th November 2011 18:00:00]

Sony Pictures have acquired the distribution rights to Fede Alvarez's upcoming Evil Dead remake, meaning those soul-swallowing deadites will be launching themselves at the general public on a massive scale.

"For 30 years, Sam [Raimi], Bruce [Campbell] and I have been looking for the right home where we could return the deadites to the big screen," said producer Rob Tapert in an official statement.

"Amy Pascal and Jeff Blake at Sony and Peter Schlessel at FilmDistrict have always been incredible partners who share our passion for great storytelling as well as our obsession for scaring the pants off the audience. Together, we are looking forward to terrorizing a whole new generation."

Tapert will be joined on production duties by original director / leading man double-act Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, whilst Fede Alvarez's original script has undergone recent re-writes from Juno's Diablo Cody.

After years and years worth of rumours, The Evil Dead is finally being resurrected, with production reportedly being fast-tracked so that shooting can begin in 2012. Plot details are slim at this point in time, and casting has yet to begin, but we'll say one thing – there had better be a chainsaw involved somewhere along the line... Source: www.totalfilm.com