Starz has announced today that Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus”) will play the role of Ruby in the network’s upcoming original series “Ash vs Evil Dead.” The series is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic The Evil Dead horror film franchise and is set to film on location in New Zealand this spring and premiere on Starz in late 2015.
Ruby is a mysterious figure who is myopic in her quest to hunt down the source of the recent Evil outbreaks. The only problem: she believes that Ash (Bruce Campbell) is the cause of it all.
The casting reteams Lawless with executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert whom she worked with when she starred in the television series “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Spartacus.” Also married to the latter, Lawless appeared in both men’s feature films, including Raimi’s Spider Man and Tapert’s Boogeyman. She can also be seen coming up on the second season of WGN America’s “Salem.”
In addition to Campbell, Lawless will also join previously-announced cast members Ray Santiago (Pablo Simon Bolivar), Dana DeLorenzo (Kelly Maxwell) and Jill Marie Jones (Amanda Fisher).
The Starz Original series “Ash vs Evil Dead” will consist of 10 half-hour episodes. Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.
Raimi will direct the first episode of “Ash vs Evil Dead” that he wrote with Ivan Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell), Craig DiGregorio (“Workaholics,” “Chuck”) and Tom Spezialy (“Chuck,” “Reaper,” “Desperate Housewives”). Raimi will also serve as executive producer, along with Rob Tapert (Evil Dead, “Spartacus”) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) along with Craig DiGregorio (“Workaholics,” “Chuck”) who will serve as executive producer/showrunner. Ivan Raimi will co-executive produce and Aaron Lam (“Spartacus”) will serve as producer.
(Photo Credit: Brian To / WENN.com)
