Naman Shrestha
The fifth installment in the ‘Evil Dead’ film franchise, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is a supernatural horror movie that revolves around two estranged sisters — Beth and Ellie. The former pays a visit to her elder sister following a long road trip, as the latter finds it difficult to raise three children alone in a small apartment. However, their reunion is cut short when they discover an ancient and mysterious book deep in Ellie’s building, unleashing some flesh-possessing demons. Now, Beth and Ellie must do everything to survive the clenches of evil as they face the most terrifying version of motherhood they could ever imagine.
Written and directed by Lee Cronin, the horror movie features stellar onscreen performances from Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher. The gory movie primarily unfolds in the modern-day urban setting of Los Angeles, straying away from the traditional cabin-in-the-woods backdrop. Given the expansion of the locations, the possibilities for all the things that might ensue also increase. So, if you are wondering where ‘Evil Dead Rise’ was filmed, you might be interested in what we have to share!
Evil Dead Rise Filming Locations
‘Evil Dead Rise’ was filmed in New Zealand, specifically in and around Auckland. As per reports, the principal photography for the horror movie commenced in June 2021, after several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and wrapped up in late October 2021. To explain how gory and violent things get in the movie, the director Cronin revealed that they used over 6,500 liters of fake blood. Now, without much ado, let’s look at all the specific locations where Beth and Ellie are seen fighting for survival!
8 months, 1 Covid Lockdown, 6,500 litres of blood, and more memories than my brain can even process. That is a wrap on #EvilDeadRise. Thank you New Zealand, it’s been a blast. Time to head home and cut this beast together. pic.twitter.com/iyah4vEEqL
— Lee Cronin (@curleecronin) October 26, 2021
Auckland, New Zealand
Most of ‘Evil Dead Rise’ was lensed in Auckland, with the production team utilizing various features and sites of the large metropolitan city. Although much of the gory action takes place in Ellie’s apartment, a few scenes happen in and around a triangular rural residence in the woods, which keeps up with the movie series’ typical setting. Instead of being a means to refresh and expand the franchise, Cronin felt it necessary to base the movie in the city for the kind of story he wanted to tell. He viewed the apartment as a cabin in the woods, while the hallways and other aspects of the building acted as the forest.
In an interview with the AU Review just ahead of the movie’s global premiere in early 2023, actresses Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan were asked if there was a specific scene that took them the longest to shoot. Lily replied, “The end sequence just doesn’t stop. Because each location was built, studio-wise, that whole car park section was just…yeah. It felt like you were in a video game moving (around) as you went through all the carnage, left with all the blood and guts en route. But it was the last sequence which was after a nine-week lockdown as well. Losing out minds in that way that is a form of torture also in another country, and then going back to finish the final sequence of the film.”
The production team of ‘Evil Dead Rise’ also seemingly utilized the facilities of one of the film studios in and around Auckland. Furthermore, in the backdrop of several exterior portions, you will likely spot a few local landmarks and parks, such as the twin towers of the National Bank Centre, Auckland Domain, Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park, and Victoria Park.
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