In its opening weekend alone, Evil Dead Rise will gross more at the box office than The Evil Dead's entire domestic box office grossing. Evil Dead Rise premiered on April 21st and marked the fifth installment in the Evil Dead franchise after 10-year hiatus. The last time an Evil Dead film premiered was in 2013, with Evil Dead's soft reboot. While the reboot was well-received, Evil Dead Rise serves as a sequel to the original trilogy that kicked off in 1981 with the premiere of The Evil Dead. So far, Evil Dead Rise has been a success, both critically and commercially.

As reported by Deadline, Evil Dead Rise has earned $23.5 million at the box office in its opening weekend, which is nearly 10 times as much as the $2.4 million The Evil Dead earned in total at the box office. If adjusted for inflation, the original film made about $8 million, but Evil Dead Rise still crushes that amount. The difference in box office earnings shows how the Evil Dead franchise has picked up steam and garnered a cult following since its initial release.

What Does Evil Dead's Future Look Like?

Despite contending with box office giant, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Evil Dead Rise is holding its own and having a very promising opening weekend. This, combined with Evil Dead Rise's positive reviews, may raise some questions about what is next in the Evil Dead franchise. While the franchise has risen to become a beloved horror franchise, it has lacked consistency. After The Evil Dead's strong performance, it took six years for a sequel to be made, then another six years for the third installment to hit theaters. These gaps were nothing, though, compared to the 20-year gap that came next.

Army of Darkness, the final installment in the original trilogy, released in 1993, and it wasn't until 2013 that Fede Álvarez ventured into the franchise with a reboot. Ten years after the 2013 reboot and 30 years after the trilogy's conclusion, Evil Dead Rise finally hits theaters. Now, many are wondering if there will be another 10-20 year gap between films or if there will be another film at all. Fortunately, Bruce Campbell, the franchise's original star, gave a promising update on the future.

Campbell revealed the Raimi brothers and he were interested in continuing the franchise if Evil Dead Rise succeeded. Additionally, he suggested they would aim for a much shorter two or three years between Evil Dead films, with the Raimi brothers creating an Evil Dead bible for future filmmakers to reference and keep things on track. Hence, there are tentative plans to keep the franchise going more consistently in the future. If Evil Dead Rise continues to perform well at the box office, it could be the deciding factor in whether these plans become reality.

Source: Deadline