A remake of cult horror movie The Evil Dead is being filmed in New Zealand by hotshot Hollywood director Sam Raimi.
Raimi, famed for his work on the Spiderman franchise, directed the original 1981 flick and has hired newcomer newcomer Fede Alvarez to direct the new movie. He has reunited producers Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell for the new version, simply called Evil Dead.
Filming has started in Auckland and is expected to wrap in early July.
The story revolves around five 20-something friends who are holed up in a remote cabin. They discover a Book Of The Dead and unwittingly summon up dormant demons who possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.
A core cast of young, fresh talent for Evil Dead includes Jane Levy (Suburgatory) as Mia, Shiloh Fernandez (Deadgirl, Red Riding Hood) as David and Lou Taylor Pucci (Carriers) as Eric.
"This cast of talent share the same spirit we had when creating the original," producer Tapert said.
"We found a brilliant artist in Fede," Raimi said. "He understands what makes a story work and how to put the pieces together. I'm really excited to see this story, that I care about deeply, retold by such a fine storyteller."