The film Evil Dead (pictured) the anticipated remake of Sam Raimi's 1981 cult-hit horror film, directed and co-written by Uruguayan director Fede Álvarez was the number one film this past weekend in the U.S. box office earning an estimated $26 million dollars.
Álvarez attracted attention with his five-minute short film ¡Ataque de pánico! / Panic Attack! (2009) which became an instant YouTube sensation. The film in which giant robots attack Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, was reportedly made with a $300 budget. Following his short's success, Álvarez was then signed to a $30 million contract to direct a Hollywood movie, which ultimately became the fourth installment of The Evil Dead franchise.
Starring Jessica Lucas and Jane Levy, Álvarez debut feature film tells the story of five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.
Álvarez follows in the recent footsteps of Argentinean director Andrés Muschietti, whose supernatural thriller Mamaalso topped the U.S. box office when it debuted in January 2013, grossing over $70 million. Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro acted as executive producer of the film which starred Jessica Chastain.
Watch ¡Ataque de pánico!:
