When it was first announced that Juno ’s Diablo Cody was working on Fede Alverez’s script for the upcoming Evil Dead remake, the news was met by much fanboy wailing and gnashing of teeth. She might know her way around whip-smart teen dialogue, but what exactly could she bring to a down and dirty gorefest?
Well Collider have been talking to the lady in question, and she’s been quick to reassure fans of the original that this new version won’t disappoint.
“I was so excited to do it,” she says. “I wouldn’t have even gotten involved if Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell hadn’t been involved as well. They’re producing it, and so of course I was like, ‘Alright I have to do this’ because I’m such a fan of the original, and the whole original series in fact.”
“I was nervous to take the job,” she continues, “because I thought ‘Ugh, I’m gonna get shit for this. People are not gonna like this, because all people know of me is like Juno and they think I’m gonna pollute Evil Dead with like wacky dialogue and cute stuff and folk music’, and it’s like, ‘no, look I understand what this is!’ I’m interested in storytelling here and making it scary and good and true to the original.”
And according to Cody, the new script doesn’t skimp on scares. “The director’s draft was really scary,” she says, “so I tried to stay away from some of the big horror set pieces. I didn’t wanna mess with his vision, because he’s the one who ultimately has to shoot it. That being said, there is a moment… I mean it’s unbelievably violent!”
Being huge fans of the original trilogy ourselves, we’re still not entirely convinced about this one, but if Raimi and Campbell have given it the okay, it’s certainly a project to keep tabs on. Evil Dead is currently pencilled in for release in 2013.
