The first screenings of New Line Cinema’s newest installment in The Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, have begun to circulate around town, and they are  reportedly terrifying. The new movie, which serves more as a sequel to Fede lvarez’s grisly horror extravaganza from 2013, will once more be a gory, demonic possession nightmare with lots of blood. There are hints as to how the studio might continue the plot, even though it has been successful in maintaining a very tight lid on things.

In a post-credits stinger to the 2013 film, Campbell returned as Ash Williams, the film’s renowned antihero, and said his catchphrase, “Groovy!” before quickly turning to face the audience. Fans of the “Evil Dead” universe took solace in Campbell’s brief cameo after the film’s credits in 2013, as he later returned to his chainsaw-wielding ways in the Starz series “Ash vs. Evil Dead” from 2015 to 2018.

The franchise has seen itself through the lens of a television sitcom, a time-traveling trip to the Middle Ages, and raw indie horror mayhem, and even comics and an upcoming video game. Campbell and his “Ash vs. Evil Dead” sidekicks, Ray Santiago and Dana DeLorenzo, have just resumed their Deadite-slaying ways to voice their characters in “Evil Dead: The Game.”

While it’s crucial for Evil Dead Rise to stand alone as a story, it shouldn’t compromise the established tone of the larger franchise. Let’s just hope the filmmakers keep in mind that Evil Dead’s campy humor has always been a defining characteristic of the series. With Raimi and company hinting at the prospect of more Bruce Campbell, there may be hope for this new sequel yet.