Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert are going back to their roots, tapping Fede Alvarez to write and direct Ghost House Pictures' remake of their 1981 cult horror film "The Evil Dead."
Alvarez wrote the initial draft with Rodo Sayagues, and "Juno" scribe Diablo Cody is currently doing revisions.
Raimi and Tapert will produce with Bruce Campbell, who starred in the original "Evil Dead" franchise. Ghost House partners Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane will exec produce, while Nicole Brown and J.R. Young will oversee the project for the company.
Alvarez landed the gig after impressing Raimi and Tapert with his short film "Panic Attack," which earned him a blind deal with Ghost House.
The original pic followed five friends who discover a Book of the Dead in a remote cabin, where they unwittingly summon dormant demons intent on possessing them.
Producers are fast-tracking the project with the hope that it will relaunch the franchise, which ended with 1992's "Army of Darkness."
"We are committed to making this movie and are inspired by the enduring popularity and enthusiasm for the 'Evil Dead' series," the three producers said in a statement. "We can't wait to scare a new generation of moviegoers using filmmaking techniques that were not available to us thirty years ago as well as Fede bringing a fresh eye to the film's original elements."
Lionsgate will handle international sales on the film.
Alvarez is repped by CAA, Anonymous Content and attorney Karl Austen, while Cody is repped by WME, manager Mason Novick and attorney Jeff Frankel of McKuin Frankel Whitehead.
Contact Jeff Sneider at
jeff.sneider@variety.com