Are you wondering if you need to watch the entire Evil Dead franchise before watching Evil Dead Rise? We don’t blame you because the Evil Dead franchise has many reboots, partial remakes, retcons, restarts, and scrapped projects that it is hard to know which installment fits where in the universe. However, not all installments of the Evil Dead franchise are necessary to watch Evil Dead Rise.
What Should You Watch Before Seeing Evil Dead Rise?
No, you do not need to watch any of the Evil Dead Franchise before watching Evil Dead Rise. While Evil Dead Rise is in the Evil Dead universe, it does not continue the series regarding Ash as a character and is set in a completely different location, which Bruce Campbell confirmed.
Evil Dead Rise’s director, Lee Cronin, also stated that to take the franchise somewhere new and unlock the potential of the universe to tell more horrific stories, it needs to be free of Ash. This was confirmed when Campbell officially retired from the role of Ash in future live-action movies (he will still provide his voice, though).
Related: Evil Dead Rise Age Rating and Parents Guide
The Best Evil Dead Watch Order
However, if you’ve never seen the Evil Dead franchise and want to do so, we have the best watch order for you. This watch order is based on the release order and timeline continuity of the franchise:
- The Evil Dead (1981)
- Evil Dead II (1987)
- Army of Darkness (1992)
- Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018)
- Bonus – Evil Dead: The Game
- The game has the story and characters from the original film trilogy and television show. If you want to play the Evil Dead universe this is the game you should play.
So then, what about the 2013 reboot called Evil Dead? Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have stated that this reboot is in the Evil Dead franchise universe, but it doesn’t relate to anything with the original trilogy. This means you do not need to see it before seeing Evil Dead Rise in theaters. However, this reboot did the franchise justice and has been well-reviewed by Evil Dead fans everywhere, so it is worth a watch at any point.
