Army of Darkness

Army of Darkness
Theatrical release poster by John Bolton
Directed bySam Raimi
Written by
Produced byRobert Tapert
Starring
CinematographyBill Pope
Edited by
Music byJoseph LoDuca
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • October 9, 1992 (1992-10-09) (Sitges)
  • February 19, 1993 (1993-02-19) (United States)
Running time
  • 81 minutes (United States)
  • 89 minutes (International)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11 million
Box office$21.5 million

Army of Darkness is a 1992 American comedy horror film directed and co-written by Sam Raimi. It is the third installment in the Evil Dead franchise and stars Bruce Campbell and Embeth Davidtz. The plot follows Ash Williams as he is trapped in the Middle Ages and battles the undead in his quest to return to the present.

The film was made as part of a production deal with Universal Pictures after the financial success of Darkman (1990). Filming took place in California in 1991. The makeup and creature effects for the film were handled by two different companies: Tony Gardner and his company Alterian, Inc. were responsible for the makeup effects for Ash and Sheila, while Kurtzman, Nicotero & Berger EFX Group was credited for the remaining special makeup effects characters. Tom Sullivan, who had previously worked on Within the Woods, The Evil Dead, and Evil Dead II, also contributed to the visual effects.

Army of Darkness had its premiere at the Sitges Film Festival on October 9, 1992, and was released in the United States on February 19, 1993. It grossed $22 million on an $11 million budget and received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.