Horror remake Evil Dead will attempt to retain the top spot at the US box office this weekend, after its strong showing on debut. The movie, directed by Fede Alvarez and produced by Sam Raimi, tells the story of a group of five twenty-something friends who are possessed by demons during a trip to... you guessed it... a cabin in the woods. Produced on a modest budget of $17 million, Evil Dead took $26 million on its opening weekend.

Last week, G.I. Joe Retaliation tied with animated comedy Croods for second place, taking $21 million, while a 3D version of Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic Jurassic Park took $18 million. However, the horror flick faces far sterner competition this weekend, with Scary Movie 5 likely to make a serious assault on the top of the box-office. There's also Harrison Ford's baseball movie 42, which could perform well. "When you have a record box-office year like we did in 2012, every weekend in 2013 is becoming a challenge to best or even equal what we did the year before," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

"It's one crazy ride, that movie. I have to think Sam Raimi is so proud in remaking this film that it turned out so well,"' said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It's such a visceral ride, where you're holding on to your seat or holding on to the person next to you," he added, of Evil Dead. The original movie - produced and directed by Raimi - is still considered one of the most violent films of its time. It caused huge controversy upon its release in 1981, receiving an X-rating and being dubbed a "video nasty." However, it' levels of gore and violence helped it become a cult classic. 

Raimi, who borrowed the money from family and friends to make the film, has since become a millionaire, rebooting the Spider-Man franchise and recently directing box-office hit Oz: The Great and Powerful.

Watch the Evil Dead trailer here!