They might only be a few days into production on Ash vs Evil Dead, the TV series born from the cult-favorite movie franchise Evil Dead, but star Bruce Campbell and executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert already feel like they're back into the groove -- only wiser this time.
"We've all been through a lot of experiences over the last 30 years, Rob and Sam and myself producing and acting and directing and all these different things," Campbell told reporters Wednesday over the phone from the show's New Zealand set. "We can now bring our experience to the concept that got us into the business ... and to me, that’s really one of the most exciting parts about it, is to now get back in there as an adult actor and make this character hum."
Set to debut this fall, the long-awaited follow-up will find Campbell's titular Ash jumping back into action -- chainsaw in hand -- after a Deadite plague threatens to destroy mankind.
Ash has not been seen in action since 1992's Army of Darkness, although Campbell made a cameo in the 2013 Evil Dead remake in a post-credits scene.
"He’s no finer or nobler or saner of a character than when we last saw him," Tapert said. "In fact, if anything, I think he's digressed. He's certainly aged quite a bit, and his courage hasn’t been whipped up to a frenzy -- let’s put it that way."
As worse for wear as Ash might be, Raimi proudly said that little else will seem different about the overall feel of the world.
"We have elements of the Evil Dead films, which have always have very hard-edged, intense horror designed to really frighten the audience, and [there's been] no holds barred there," he said. "Starz has really taken the reins off of us, and allowed us to go to town and thrill the audience, chill them and scare the heck out of them."
The comedic element that earned the franchise a cult of loyal fans, too, has not been sacrificed in the move to TV, where Raimi is now enjoying the fruits of a half-hour runtime.
"I really appreciate that Starz let us keep this half-hour idea," he said. "That's what makes it really cool to me is that we can really fire on all cylinders, and really be outrageous and fast-paced and non-stop without a lot of secondary character exposition that sometimes you find in these hour shows."
In many ways, Ash vs Evil Dead seems to be a dream realized, especially since, as Campbell said, they never could have predicted that a fringe horror film would spur the following that it did.
"It’s completely surreal," he said. "I said that to Sam yesterday on set. I said, 'This is completely ridiculous that we’re back here again.' And it feels awesome."
Check out a short teaser of Ash vs Evil Dead, below: