A few weeks ago the Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell-produced remake of The Evil Dead came close to landing their first star, but that didn't exactly work out too well. Reports in early January said that Lily Collins had taken the lead female role in the movie, but she ended up having to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts. So the filmmakers have regrouped and now they have their first actor signed on, but this time it's a dude.

Shiloh Fernandez, who played Peter in last year's Red Riding Hood, has apparently taken the first part in the Evil Dead remake, according to Variety. The trade describes the role as the male lead in the movie, but doesn't offer a character name or description (though it should be noted that Ashley J. Williams is not going to be a member of the group). The movie is being written and directed by Fede Alvarez and Diablo Cody did some work on the script. The film's plot is about a group young adults that travel into the woods to help their friend who recently suffered a drug overdose. While there they discover the Necronomicon, a.k.a. Book of the Dead, and unleash an ancient evil into the forest. The film is being distributed by Sony and will go into production later this year.

Also good news for Fernandez is that he's landed another lead role in Deep Powder, a new movie from writer/director Mo Ogrodnik (Uptown Girls). The article doesn't mention the genre or any story details, but does say that the project will likely go into production before The Evil Dead.

So what do you think? Are you interested in Shiloh Fernandez being the male lead in The Evil Dead remake?