Starz Adds to 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' Cast

Leslie Jaye Goff — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 18:30:00 +0000

Premium network Starz announced it has cast actress Jill Marie Jones (Sleepy Hollow) as Amanda Fisher in its upcoming original comedy series Ash vs. Evil Dead.

The series, which will premiere late this year, is much anticipated by fans of the 1979 cult classic The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi -- particularly since Raimi and others involved in the original film are returning for the Starz reboot.

Raimi is directing the pilot episode and will executive produce the series. Actor Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice) is reprising his role of Ash (Ashley J. Williams), the lone surviving character from the original film. In the Starz series, which will consist of 10 half-hour episodes, Ash is reluctantly recruited to combat a "Deadite plague" when disgraced Michigan State Trooper Amanda Fisher shows up following the grisly murder of her partner.

Jones is best known for playing Toni Childs in the CW series Girlfriends; she also has appeared in American Horror Story. Jones's feature film credits include 35 and Ticking, The Perfect Holiday, Major Movie Star and Meeting Spencer among others. Previously announced cast members, in addition to Campbell, include Ray Santiago as Pablo Simon Bolivar and Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell.

Starz To Resurrect 'Evil Dead' Franchise

thomas.umstead@futurenet.com (R. Thomas Umstead) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:00:00 +0000

Starz along with director Sam Raimi will look to breathe new life into The Evil Dead with an original series based on the 1980s horror movie franchise, the network said Monday.

The series, Ash Vs. The Evil Dead, will feature the movie franchise's monster hunter character Ash, played in The Evil Dead movies by Bruce Campbell who will reprise the role in the series. After avoiding the terrors of the Evil Dead for decades, a plague that threatens to destroy all of mankind forces Ash back into action, according to Starz executives.

The Evil Dead director Raimi will return to direct the series along with producing partner Rob Tapert, according to Starz.

“Starz first worked with Sam and Rob on Spartacus, and we are thrilled to be back in business with them,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director of Starz in a statement. “With Sam writing and directing and Bruce Campbell returning to the screen, we are certain the show will give Evil Dead fans around the world the fix they’ve been craving.”

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Starz Adds to 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' Cast

Starz To Resurrect 'Evil Dead' Franchise