10 Horror Movies That Changed Their Franchise

In 1981, Sam Raimi introduced audiences to the world of the Evil Dead and Ashley J. Williams, with the Evil Dead becoming one of horror's great franchises and Ash becoming one of the genre's great heroes.

When watching this classic back, the Evil Dead world and Ash seen are both vastly different to what we now associate with this series. That '81 film is a genuinely intense, graphic, brutal movie that ended up banned in various countries due to its content. This was and is a visceral horror picture that serves as an assault on the senses.

For 1987's Evil Dead II, though, a slightly different approach was taken; an approach that would shape the core of the franchise. Namely, Raimi and Co. injected a far greater sense of comedy into the mix for that sequel. Sure, there was still plenty of terror, but Evil Dead II veered on the slapstick at times, with Campbell turning the cheese up to 11 for his return as Ash.

This tone would become synonymous with the franchise over the decades, continuing on with Army of Darkness in 1992, through the various Evil Dead comic books and video games, and clearly prevalent in the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series. In fact, this is also something that's become synonymous with Bruce Campbell himself, as shown by how so many of his roles to date have felt nothing if not Ash-lite.