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Guess Who’s Appearing in “Ash vs Evil Dead”?!
Exec producer Rob Tapert and star Bruce Campbell confirmed that the character of Cheryl Williams, Ash’s sister from the original The Evil Dead, will appear in the upcoming season of Starz’s “Ash vs Evil Dead”, IGN reports.
Here’s the kicker: Ellen Sandweiss, who portrayed Cheryl in the 1981 film, will return to guest star as the character.
“Ash’s sister makes a tiny little guest appearance, causes a little commotion,” Tapert said.
Campbell explains why Cheryl, who turned into a demon and then was killed by her brother in the original film, is coming back. Basically, it’s fan service. “Well, it’s all street cred,” Campbell said of the decision to tie the TV series in so deeply with the films. “It’s like fried pork rinds to the fans. Like, ‘Ah, that’s Cheryl! Shit! She’s back!’ I think it’ll freak them out, and that’s the idea… it’s gonna look really accurate [to the original film].”
[Related] Evil Dead 4 Could Still Happen; “Ash vs Evil Dead” to Reference Army of Darkness
“Ash vs. Evil Dead,” a 10-episode half-hour series, is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film, The Evil Dead.
The second season roars back into action in October 2016 with Ash leaving his beloved Jacksonville and returning to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan. There, he confronts Ruby. The former enemies have to form an uneasy alliance as Elk Grove soon becomes the nucleus of evil.
The cast is led by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) in the role of Ash Williams; Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus”) as Ruby Knowby, who now possesses the powerful Necronomicon; Ray Santiago (“Touch,” Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, Ash’s loyal sidekick dealing with the trauma he suffered in the cabin; and Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, who, grief-stricken after the death of her parents, plots revenge against The Evil Dead. Lee Majors (Do You Believe), Ted Raimi (“Xena: Warrior Princess,” Spider-Man), and Michelle Hurd (“Law & Order: SVU”) join the series this year as Brock Williams, Ash’s father; Chet Kaminski, Ash’s childhood best friend; and Linda, Ash’s high school love, respectively.
All of us here at Bloody Disgusting are deeply sad to learn that The Blob director Chuck Russell has passed away at 74 years old.
Russell’s career began with his directorial debut, 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
The multihyphenate film director, screenwriter, and producer is best known for helming 1994 comedy The Mask starring Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner Eraser, and adventure spinoff The Scorpion King. The latter served as the first leading role for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The filmmaker left an indelible mark on horror with his ANOES sequel, 1988’s The Blob, and 2000’s Bless the Child.
Russell’s final film credit is 2024’s Witchboard remake starring Madison Iseman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), and Jamie Campbell Bower (“Stranger Things”).
It marked Russell’s return to horror after a lengthy hiatus, and he shared sequel hopes to Bloody Disgusting in an interview ahead of the remake’s release: “I got to design the board with real mystical symbols and things that I know represent good and evil, and where that board takes us if the audiences respond to the film, and I hope they will; I know it’s out there for you guys, but the sequel is a world we’ll get to go a little further. That’s sure the intention.”
He also recently expressed interest in returning to the franchise that began his career.
TMZ notes that Russell passed away at his San Diego-area home.
We send our deepest condolences to Chuck Russell’s family, friends, and fans.
Director, Co-Writer & Producer Chuck Russell behind the scenes of the horror film, WITCHBOARD. Photo courtesy of The Avenue and Atlas Distribution
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