The Devil’s Rejects Return

The Devil’s Rejects Return

By: Molly Henery

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that Rob Zombie has begun filming 3 From Hell. This film is the third installment following House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects. Most Rob Zombie fans regard The Devil’s Rejects as Zombie’s best film, so they are understandably excited to see what 3 From Hell will bring to the franchise. Very little is known about the film at this point other than the fact that Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, and Sheri Moon Zombie will be reprising their roles as the ruthless Firefly clan. We know from the end of the previous film that the three were gunned down, and presumably killed, in a hail of bullets as “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd played. This brings up an interesting question: how will Captain Spaulding, Otis, and Baby return for this film? I have four theories on how Zombie will bring them back.

1. They survive the shootout.

As I said before, the Firefly trio sure looked like they died at the end of The Devil’s Rejects. They were already in pretty bad shape before they encountered the road block of gun-wielding cops, plus they were shot numerous times (even in the chest). It would be pretty lucky if one of them survived this encounter, let alone all three of them. This is the laziest way to bring the characters back for a third film, and hopefully not one Zombie even considered.

2. Dr. Satan to the rescue.

Many fans will remember the infamous Dr. Satan from House of 1000 Corpses. While we don’t see this character again in The Devil’s Rejects (unless you count the deleted scene), we can assume he is still alive. The legend says that Dr. Satan was hung from a tree but survived as a result of his freakish experiments, which he continued in the first film. It would make sense that Dr. Satan would want to save his fallen family by working his experiments on them, allowing them to return to life and wreak more havoc.

3. Hell doesn’t want them.

“The Devil’s Rejects” isn’t just a catchy nickname. Even the song of the same name by Zombie says, “Hell doesn’t want them.” This would mean the family did die in the shootout and went straight to Hell. However, the Devil doesn’t want them, so he sends them right back up to Earth. Does this mean they can’t die? Are they demons now? Who knows, but this seems like the simplest way for Zombie to bring back his fan-favorite characters. Given the name of the upcoming film, this may also be the most likely option.

4. The witch is in.

It was recently announced that Dee Wallace has been cast in 3 From Hell. Zombie fans might recognize her as the satanic witch, Sonny, in The Lords of Salem. While Zombie is known to reuse actors in his films, let us imagine for a moment that all his original films are part of the same cinematic universe. This could mean that Wallace is back as Sonny, and she is going to use some kind of spell or ritual to bring Spaulding, Otis, and Baby back from the dead. The Lords of Salem may take place in a different time (it is a bit difficult to determine the date for sure), but that doesn’t mean it can’t be the same character. While this theory is a bit more far-fetched, I personally think it would be fantastic.

There are many different ways Zombie could bring back his fan’s most beloved characters. Currently there is no release date for the film, but as filming continues there will likely be more details released about the plot. However Zombie chooses to bring his characters back, there is one thing fans can agree on; we can’t wait to see this film!