WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Evil Dead Rise!Evil Dead Rise is the fifth movie in the Evil Dead franchise, but is it a direct follow-up to the 2013 remake? Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise has grown to include five movies and a TV show, with the first three movies and the series being focused on Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams. However, the 2013 reboot Evil Dead left behind Ash to follow new character Mia Allen (Jane Levy), who ultimately took on Ash’s Deadite-fighting role while still existing within the same universe as the original movies. Evil Dead Rise similarly focuses on new character Beth (Lily Sullivan), who battles Deadites when the Book of the Dead unleashes a demon in the Los Angeles apartment building of her sister and her three children.
Lee Cronin's Evil Dead Rise builds on the lore of the Necronomicon and the vengeful demons that turn loved ones into Deadites, with two massive changes to the franchise: Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams doesn’t appear, and there’s no central cabin-in-the-woods setting. Evil Dead Rise also leaves out Jane Levy’s Mia, who survived the end of the remake/sequel Evil Dead (2013). Evil Dead Rise exists within the same universe as the other movies, but there may be questions about whether it is a direct sequel to 2013’s Evil Dead and a continuation of Mia’s story, if it stands entirely on its own, and how deep the 2023 movie’s connections are to past installments in the franchise.
Evil Dead Rise Is Not A Direct Sequel To The 2013 Remake
While it is the first movie in the franchise since the 2013 film, Evil Dead Rise is not a direct sequel to Evil Dead. Disappointingly, Evil Dead never received a follow-up with Jane Levy’s Mia, despite talks about a future crossover film between Mia and Ash Williams. Still, there were hopes that Evil Dead Rise would integrate Mia and Ash into Beth’s story, whether that be a surprise appearance or explicit reference to such characters. Bruce Campbell appears in a brief cameo as a priest – who may or may not still be Ash Williams – on a recording found by Evil Dead Rise’s new characters, but Jane Levy has no role in the 2023 movie.
Evil Dead Rise functions as a standalone film within the Sam Raimi horror franchise, but still acts as a loose sequel to the past four movies. Still, there are no direct references to the terrors faced by Mia Allen in Evil Dead or the misadventures of Ash Williams in The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, or Ash vs. Evil Dead. Beth also isn’t facing the exact same demonic villain in Evil Dead Rise that Mia did in 2013’s Evil Dead, so the franchise’s new standalone sequel is telling a very different story within the same universe. In Evil Dead (2013), Mia was battling the Taker of Souls and The Abomination, whereas Beth is fighting the Marauder in the violent Evil Dead Rise.
Evil Dead Rise’s New Book & Themes Still Link Beth To Evil Dead’s Mia
Although Evil Dead Rise gives no updates on what happened to Mia in the 10 years since Evil Dead, Jane Levy’s character does still have a larger connection to Beth and the new Deadite problems. According to Bruce Campbell in an interview with Collider, the three Necronomicon books seen by Ash in Army of Darkness are what truly connect each of the Evil Dead franchise's movies. Evil Dead Rise introduces the third Book of the Dead, so Beth’s story is the logical next step in the franchise after Mia’s friends discovered the second Book of the Dead in the 2013 movie. As such, Evil Dead Rise is somewhat of a spiritual sequel to Evil Dead if the franchise is assessed in terms of the books that are found.
The original movies tackle the first Book of the Dead (Necronomicon Ex-Mortis), the 2013 remake/sequel is centered around the second book, and Evil Dead Rise focuses on the third and final book, each presenting new insights into the franchise’s lore and the demons released from each book. Consequently, Ash, Mia, and Beth lead three sectors of the Evil Dead universe that are inherently still connected to one another. This means the three major Deadite attack survivors are still linked even if they haven’t met.
Evil Dead Rise is also thematically connected to Evil Dead’s Mia Allen. The 2013 and 2023 movies are rooted in issues with motherhood as siblings reconnect. Mia’s inner conflict is based on her trauma from the death of her mother and the fact that she had to care for her while David never had to see her that way. Similarly, Beth and Ellie’s conflict is rooted in their childhood issues with their mother, though this theme is taken to the next level in Evil Dead Rise through Ellie’s children being attacked by the evil version of herself while Beth contends with her fears of motherhood after discovering she’s pregnant.
How Jane Levy’s Mia Can Return After Evil Dead Rise
While it’s been a decade since Mia faced the Taker of Souls in Evil Dead, Jane Levy’s character can still return in the franchise’s future. However, the book in Evil Dead was simply left outside the cabin after Mia fought off The Abomination, so it’s still possible for the Taker of Souls to return and try to finish what it started. Evil Dead Rise’s ending also left off with the reveal that Beth hadn’t truly defeated the demon, as Jessica from the movie’s opening scene was still a Deadite. If Evil Dead 6 happens, a crossover movie between Beth, Mia, and even Ash could see the franchise’s survivors band together to battle the Deadites, hopefully destroying each Book of the Dead for good.
Source: Collider