Once again, folk are being terrorized by the evil that dwells in a familiar book once found beneath a cabin in the woods and we explain exactly what the Necronomicon is and reveal if the book is real or not.
Evil Dead Rise will serve as a stand-alone project built off of the original trilogy, instead of releasing as a direct sequel to the 2013 reboot.
Directed by Lee Cronin and produced by original Evil Dead director, Sam Raimi, Evil Dead Rise serves as the fifth overall installment in the horror franchise, following sisters who discover a mysterious, ancient book hidden in an apartment building that soon unleashes terror.
What is the Necronomicon from Evil Dead Rise?
The officially titled Necronomicon Ex-Mortis from the Evil Dead franchise is the main antagonist in the movie series, which also goes by the names The Book of the Dead and Naturom Demonto.
The book channels the powers of the Kandarian Demon and its abilities include controlling the dead as well as the power to summon the demon as well. Deadites are also spawned from the book, which have the ability to possess people.
The book was originally created by a Dark One or the human Abdul Alzeez in the year 730 AD, depending on which lore you go by in the franchise, and the book is also said to be bound in demonic flesh.
Even though the Necronomicon acts as a gate for demonic power, the object itself has the ability to speak, more so when blood touches its cover.
There are conflicting weaknesses of the book in Evil Dead lore, with one means to kill it being fire. Another version saw the book turn to dust once it was emptied of all its contained evil.
Is the Necronomicon Real?
No, the Necronomicon is not a real book in our world, as it is a work of fiction first brought into creation by writer H.P. Lovecraft.
The grimoire was first mentioned in Lovecraft’s 1924 short story, The Hound, and its existence was later adapted by writers August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith.
However, the Necronomicon is thought to be loosely inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which has been proven to be a real-world funerary textbook from the ancient civilization. The book contained a collection of text and spells thought to aid a dead person’s travel through the underworld, or Duat, into the afterlife.
Letters from Lovecraft, shared on the website hplovecraft.com, states that the name “Necronomicon” came to the writer in a dream, and others believe Lovecraft was also influenced by Robert W. Chambers’ short-story collection, The King in Yellow, and American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Horror Fans Theorise a Different Necronomicon in Evil Dead Rise
Since there is conflicting lore present throughout the Evil Dead franchise, some horror fans believe that the Necronomicon present in Evil Dead Rise is not the same one featured in the original 1981 debut.
Ned the Zombie presented the idea on Twitter, suggesting that the book in the 2023 project is not the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, but a different book that summons something similar to Deadites.
The physical appearance of the Necronomicon has certainly changed over the various installments, with the fleshy face becoming more refined.
By Jo Craig – [email protected]
Evil Dead Rise releases on April 21, 2023.
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