Feature Film
Evil Dead & Evil Dead Rise
2013 / 2023
Filmed In
Auckland
Towns & Areas
Woodhill Forest, north Auckland (2013) · Auckland sound stages (2023)
The Story
The blood-drenched, terrifying modern reboots of Sam Raimi's legendary horror franchise, unleashing the flesh-possessing Deadites via the ancient Book of the Dead.
The Stars
Jane Levy (2013); Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland (2023). Across both films, this cast carries the franchise's blend of visceral horror and dark comedy in very different New Zealand settings.
Behind the Lens
Fede Álvarez (2013) and Lee Cronin (2023). Both directors worked closely with original series creators Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell as producers on their respective films.
Why NZ?
Longtime franchise producer Rob Tapert lives in New Zealand and has made it a southern hub for horror. The 2013 film used the dark, dense woods of Woodhill Forest just outside Auckland, while the urban-set 2023 sequel was filmed entirely on massive sound stages in Auckland. The choice reflects how differently horror can be shot depending on tone — dense native bush for one film, controlled soundstage dread for the other.
On Set
During filming, a crew member reportedly lay just out of frame beside star Jane Levy, blowing real cigarette smoke across her to fake the look of gunshot smoke for one sequence. For director Fede Álvarez, it was his feature directing debut — handed the keys to one of horror's most beloved franchises.
Legacy
Both films are entries in Sam Raimi's long-running Evil Dead franchise, with the 2023 sequel earning some of the strongest critical reviews in the series' history.
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