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Editorials

[Special Report] The Set Of ‘Evil Dead’ Is Violent, Chaotic And Bloody As Hell… PART TWO!

Last summer I spent two days in Auckland, New Zealand to check out the set of TriStar and FilmDistrict’s upcoming Evil Dead remake. I’m not going to mince words here, I have never walked away from a set this confident and hopeful that a movie will turn out well. With a lot of these visits you get the feeling that people are just fort of putting on their best face to meet you, and you’re not entirely convinced of their commitment to making a great movie.

Not here. Fede Alvarez is not f*cking around. Neither is producer Rob Tapert. Nor are Robert Gillies (the production designer) or Roger Murray (the prosthetics and props maker). The film’s DP, Aaron Morton, isn’t f*cking around either when it comes to getting those crazy roving tree shots we love so much. And the cast? Enduring all of the prosthetics, pain and hundreds of gallons of blood? Not f*cking around.

I’m not talking about a bunch of disinterested dilettantes talking about “how much they love the project.” I’m talking about seeing the bloody proof of it firsthand. I’m not just talking about the scenes we witnessed, but the messy aftermath of everything they’d been shooting up until that point. You just can’t fake a production like this for two days while press is around.

Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Elizabeth Blackmore, Lou Taylor Pucci and Jessica Lucas star in the much anticipated remake of the 1981 cult-hit horror film. It hits theaters on April 12th, 2013. Be sure to read PART ONE of our set visit FIRST and then head inside for PART TWOREAD MORE

‘The Last Exorcism 2′ Has A Director, Will Be Rated ‘R’, Starts Shooting Next Month!

LastExorcism212112 The Last Exorcism 2 Has A Director, Will Be Rated R, Starts Shooting Next Month!

Given the profitability of the original The Last Exorcism, which grossed $62.5 million worldwide on a budget of $1.6 million, a sequel was pretty much a foregone conclusion. We already knew that Damien Chazelle had been tapped to write the The Last Exorcism 2 and that Ashley Bell had once again agreed to star as Nell Sweetzer.

Now we know who’s directing. That’ll be Ed Gass-Donnelly (This Beautiful City, Small Town Murder Songs). And he’ll begin shooting the Eli Roth produced sequel soon. Like, next month soon.

Per Deadline, “Production has been set to begin on the sequel to horror/thriller hit The Last Exorcism next month in New Orleans. Ed Gass-Donnelly will direct the R-rated follow-up to the 2010 PG-13 pic that grossed $70 million worldwide on a budget of $1.5 million. Star Ashley Bell is returning to reprise her role as Nell Sweetzer for the Damien Chazelle-penned film. As with the original, Eli Roth is producing via Arcade Pictures with Eric Newman, Marc Abraham and Tom Bliss producing via Strike Entertainment.

Interestingly enough, the article indicates that the producers are consciously aiming for an ‘R’ rating for this followup to the PG13 original. Producer Eric Newman, “The first film worked great as a PG-13 psychological film, but now we want to go R-rated and show the true horror of what this subject matter offers. The biggest creative challenge will be coming up with the right title!

He’s right about the last bit. Is it too late to go the prequel route and call this film The 2nd To Last Exorcism? Whatever it’s called, delivery of the film is expected in late 2012, which I suppose means we’re looking at a January 2013 release date.

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