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Sam Raimi writing 'Evil Dead' TV series

Sam Raimi writing 'Evil Dead' TV series

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Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series could be coming to TV. In a surprise appearance at San Diego Comic Con, Raimi announced that he and his brother Ivan are writing a show based on the franchise, and that it will star Bruce Campbell. We know pretty much nothing else, but it's extremely exciting news. In addition to the original trilogy of films, a remake of The Evil Dead was released in 2013, but it wasn't directed by Raimi and didn't star Bruce Campbell.

We also got some news about the film adaptation of 2013 game The Last of Us. Naughty Dog writer Neil Druckmann and producer Raimi revealed one potential casting choice: Maisie Williams, better known as Arya on Game of Thrones. Druckmann and Raimi stressed that they'd only met with Williams, but the news is apparently firm enough to announce in a panel. She'd presumably play the role of Ellie, a young survivor of the quasi-zombie apocalypse. In the game, Ellie bears an uncanny resemblance to actress Ellen Page, and in fact one attendee wondered if she might star in it, though Raimi confirms that her age makes that unfeasible.

Raimi and Druckmann say they're trying to produce a film that will closely follow the events of the game, as well as potentially the downloadable content that continued the story. Druckmann, who was the game's creative director, will write the film script as well. Though he at one point planned on changing the ending, he indicated that he had reconsidered at Raimi's urging. "It doesn't need to be different," he said. "It just needs to capture the core of what made The Last of Us special to so many fans."

In recognition of his work, Raimi was also awarded San Diego Comic Con's Inkpot Award, given for outstanding contributions to the world of comics, science fiction and fantasy, film, television, animation, and fandom.