Nearly a decade in the making, we’ve learned today that DiggerFilms' Evil Dead documentary Hail to the Deadites is finally set to have its world premiere at next month's Fantasia International Film Festival.
"Inspired by the 1981 classic’s cult following, Hail to the Deadites is a documentary about the fans of the Evil Dead franchise. Through interviews with the cast, crew, collectors, fans, freaks and geeks, Hail to the Deadites seeks to illuminate the darkest reaches of the Evil Dead franchise’s undying and still-growing popularity, a popularity that has spawned four films, a TV series, comic books, figurines, and surpassed even its creator’s wildest dreams."
In addition to conversing with fans around the world, the 80-minute documentary feature interviews with Evil Dead franchise cast and crew members such as Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Tom Sullivan, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Sarah Berry, Rick Domeier, and Bill Moseley.
“Some people might find it weird to not see any footage of the franchise in the documentary but this is what I’ve been aiming for since day one," says director Steve Villeneuve. "I’m really proud to say that everything you will see or hear in this documentary was created by the fans. So, rev your chainsaws and load your boomsticks, it’s time to give the Deadites some sugar, baby!"
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Fantasia International Film Festival decided to go virtual for their 2020 edition this August. The festival states, "the movie should be available on the Fantasia online platform from August 20th to September 2nd. All film screenings will be geo-blocked to Canadian audiences and only accessible from within the country, vastly expanding the number of viewers we can engage with outside of Quebec."
Check out the previously released trailer below.
