Jessica Lucas, ‘Evil Dead’ Star, Signs On For ‘Pompeii’ From Paul W.S. Anderson

Jessica Lucas has celebrated her Evil Dead box office win by signing on for Pompeii, the latest period adventure from director Paul W.S. Anderson.

Deadline announced on Monday that Lucas would play a slave to Flavia (Emily Browning) in the film that unfolds against the backdrop of the Mount Vesuvius eruption that famously immortalized an entire city in ash.

Joining Lucas and Browning for the film will be Kiefer Sutherland, Kit Harington, and Jared Harris.

Lucas may appear to be something of a newcomer, but the 27-year-old has steadily worked on film and television since 2000. Her breakthrough performance came in 2008’s monster epic Cloverfield.

Following that effort, she also starred in the underrated When a Stranger Calls / Saw mash-up Amusement.

That same year, she signed on to play Kimberly MacIntyre on the 90210 reboot and added the 2011 TV series Friends with Benefits before landing Olivia in last weekend’s box office winner.

While Lucas isn’t the star of Evil Dead 2013 — that honor goes to Suburgatory‘s Jane Levy — her role isn’t an easy one to forget, though you may want to after seeing it.

In fact, it was one of the major reasons that Film.com‘s Jenni Miller got up and walked out of the screening after about 40 minutes.

(Miller’s prognosis of the film will either make you want to stay far away from it or run out and by a ticket.)

Here’s a little teaser for the kind of nastiness you can expect, and having just watched the film this weekend, we can definitely vouch for the red stuff.

As for Paul W.S. Anderson, the director has a new Resident Evil film coming, which should land at theaters in September 2014. Anderson will likely go the 3D route with that effort as that’s what he’s doing with Pompeii.

What did you think of Jessica Lucas in Evil Dead? Are you ready for Pompeii from Paul W.S. Anderson next year?