Bruce Campbell pushes new Oregon film as ‘Ernie & Emma’ heads from local premiere to nationwide release
bruce campbell is stepping away from familiar expectations with “Ernie & Emma, ” a Southern Oregon-set film he wrote, directed, and stars in, after years of being closely identified with “Evil Dead. ” The movie premiered on Valentine’s Day in Medford and is scheduled to screen in Portland on Saturday, April 4 at the Hollywood Theatre, ahead of a nationwide release in the fall. The story focuses on grief and forward motion: a widower is sent on a road trip guided by letters from his late wife, detailing where she wants her ashes spread.
What happened: A genre pivot rooted in Southern Oregon
Campbell’s latest project is positioned as a deliberate pivot in tone and genre, while still carrying his signature comedic edge. He described Southern Oregon as “not been overexposed, ” calling it “a wonderfully diverse, beautiful area, ” adding, “And if you catch it right, it’s magic. ” The film was shot entirely in Southern Oregon and features recognizable regional landmarks including Table Rock and the Rogue River.
At the center of “Ernie & Emma” is a grief-processing journey. The widower character is sent on what becomes a scavenger-hunt road trip guided by letters from his late wife. In another description of the film, the main character is a washed-up TV commercial pitchman who follows 22 instructional letters from his recently deceased wife, Emma, intended to help him move forward.
Immediate reactions: Bruce Campbell on risk, typecasting, and making the film locally
In conversation with Crystal Ligori, host of “All Things Considered” on Oregon Public Broadcasting, Campbell said the project gave him room to stretch beyond the expectations tied to his long-running association with “Evil Dead. ” “I’m not a big crier, ” he said, while explaining that the emotional register was a newer tool for him on screen. He added that choosing subject matter that felt close made it possible to “see yourself going there. ”
Campbell also framed the film as a personal creative solution to being pigeonholed. “How do I write myself a big fat part?” he said, adding, “Because I’ve been pigeonholed for a long time. And if this kind of helps break it out of the box, I’m the first in line to say, ‘Yeah, baby!’”
In a separate interview with Willamette Week, Campbell emphasized the appeal and practicality of filming in the region he calls home. He said that on “Ernie & Emma, ” he went home to lunch every day and slept in his own bed every night, adding, “I should have done this years ago. ” He also described shooting a scene in a local dispensary in Medford, Top Shelf, outlining the logistics of securing the location and pausing regular customer traffic for part of a day.
That interview also notes that earlier this month Campbell announced he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of a “treatable, not curable” cancer, while clarifying that the interview itself was completed before that announcement.
Quick context
Campbell is widely known for playing Ash in the cult-horror “Evil Dead” franchise directed by Sam Raimi and has remained prolific in film and television for decades. He has lived in Southern Oregon since the 1990s and has spoken publicly about the appeal of building projects outside traditional industry pathways, including self-publishing.
What’s next
The next major public step for “Ernie & Emma” is the Portland screening on Saturday, April 4 at the Hollywood Theatre, followed by a nationwide release planned for the fall. For now, bruce campbell is placing this Oregon-made dramedy at the center of his current work—an attempt to broaden what audiences expect from him, anchored in a story of loss, humor, and movement across Southern Oregon.
