Lee Cronin, the director for the upcoming fifth entry in the classic Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, has already secured his next film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he will be reuniting with New Line Studios to direct their original horror thriller Thaw.

Cronin will also be responsible for rewriting the current draft of the script, originally written by Jeremy Passmore. The story follows a group of survivors searching for a new home in a future where the polar ice caps have melted. The group discovers an inhabitable town, only to find that a hidden danger lurks underneath the water.

Passmore originally wrote Thaw, selling it to Gunpowder & Sky, who produced the horror anthology series 50 States of Fright. Coincidentally, Cronin wrote an episode for the first season of the series. Passmore has also worked with New Line on Dwayne Johnson‘s San Andreas, as well as co-writing the 2012 remake of Red Dawn.

Von Toffler and David Gale of Gunpowder & Sky will produce Thaw, along with Adam Goldworm of Aperture. Goldworm is also responsible for producing the highly regarded drama My Friend Dahmer, and has set up Final Girl Support Group at HBO.

Who Is Lee Cronin?

Riding high from Evil Dead Rise‘s reception at this year’s SXSW, Cronin‘s hiring for Thaw is a strong indicator of New Line‘s faith in the director’s talent. Cronin started his film career with shorts including the supernatural thriller Ghost Train in 2013. The short would go on to win the Melies d’Argent for best European short film.

Cronin‘s feature debut came with 2019’s The Hole In The Ground, which premiered at that year’s Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. The film was released by A24 and earned Cronin a Saturn nomination for breakthrough director. Along with 50 Stages of Fright, his television credits include two episodes of the Irish comedy series The Masterplan.

Evil Dead Rise was intended for a release on HBO Max before positive reception at an early test screening, as well as a similar response to the film’s trailer at CineEurope last year brought it on track for a theatrical release. Set to release April 21, the film currently sits with a score of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

via Collider