Evil Dead nearly had a horrible title

Evil Dead mastermind Sam Raimi has been talking about the making of the original movie, revealing that it nearly had a very different title.

The Evil Dead was released in 1981, and caused controversy wherever it played, the film’s combination of slapstick humor with hardcore gore terrifying authorities. So-much-so that the horror classic found itself banned in many territories.

That notoriety turned it into a modest cult hit that spawned sequels Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, a reboot in the shape of 2013’s Evil Dead, and a spinoff series called Ash vs Evil Dead.

On the eve of the release of a brand-new movie – titled Evil Dead Rise – Sam Raimi has been looking back, and revealing that the movies were nearly called something very different.

Evil Dead nearly had a horrible title

While speaking to Empire about the birth of the franchise, writer-director Sam Raimi said: “The original title of the [1981] movie was The Book Of The Dead. But film-sales agent Irvin Shapiro sat [producer] Rob [Tapert], [star] Bruce [Campbell] and I down and said, ‘We’re changing the title, boys. Advertising space in the newspaper is paid for by the inch, kid. We’re not going to have a five-word title. ‘Dead’ can stay. You can have one other word. You can call it 101% Dead, or Evil Dead.'”

Raimi liked neither option, stating he’d rather die than call it 101% Dead, and recalling: “I thought, ‘But those are the worst two titles I’ve ever heard in my life! Evil Dead sucks! How can something be evil and dead?’ I just thought it was so stupid.”

But Raimi eventually came round to the now iconic title, stating: “I chose the lesser of the two horrible titles. But now I’ve started to like it. It’s pretty good.”

What is Evil Dead Rise?

Evil Dead Rise is the fifth film in the Evil Dread franchise. Written and directed by Irish moviemaker Lee Cronin, the film stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, and Morgan Davies, with the official synopsis as follows…

Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, Evil Dead Rise tells the 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.

Evil Dead Rise hits UK and US screens on April 21, and you can ready everything we know about the movie here.