Army of Darkness is a 1992 American comedy-dark fantasy film directed by Sam Raimi. It is the third and final installment in The Evil Dead trilogy. The film was written by Sam Raimi and his brother Ivan, produced by Robert Tapert, and stars Bruce Campbell (also acting as co-producer) and Embeth Davidtz. Continuing from Evil Dead II, Ash Williams (Campbell) is trapped in the Middle Ages and battles the undead in his quest to return to the present.
The film was produced as part of a production deal with Universal Studios after the financial success of Darkman. Filming took place in California in 1991. Army of Darkness premiered on October 9, 1992 at the Sitges Film Festival, and was released in the United States on February 19, 1993. It grossed $11.503 million domestically and another $10 million outside the USA for a total worldwide gross of $21.5 million. Critical response was positive, but with a much lower rating than the first two films. Since its video release it has acquired a massive cult following, along with the other two films in the trilogy. The film was dedicated to Irvin Shapiro, who died during the film's production in 1989.