Private Project

Ernie & Emma

Ernie & Emma is a poignant tale about Ernie Tyler, a small-town pear salesman, and the journey he embarks on following the death of his beloved wife, Emma.
After twenty-five years as an executive secretary, Emma leaves behind a detailed list of instructions regarding her ashes, which leads Ernie on a journey of challenging and reflective escapades across Pear Valley, Oregon.
As Ernie navigates the road trip of their lives, Emma helps him confront his grief and encourages him to move forward, transforming his life in the process.

  • Bruce Campbell
    Director
  • Bruce Campbell
    Writer
  • Ida Gearon
    Producer
  • Bruce Campbell
    Producer
  • Bruce Campbell
    Key Cast
    "Ernie"
  • Cerina Vincent
    Key Cast
    "Judy"
  • Robin McAlpine
    Key Cast
    "Emma"
  • Ted Raimi
    Key Cast
    "Persnickety Dance Instructor"
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 28 minutes 26 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 31, 2025
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Bruce Campbell

In 1979, Bruce Campbell joined Detroit friends Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert to raise $350,000 for a low-budget horror film, Evil Dead, which he co-executive produced and starred in. At Cannes, Stephen King called it “the most ferociously original horror film of the year.” Forty-four years later, Campbell co-produced Evil Dead Rise, the franchise’s highest-grossing entry in a cult series that now includes five films, video games, comics, and a TV series.
Following Evil Dead, Campbell built a career in genre films like the Maniac Cop series, John Carpenter’s Escape From LA, and MGM’s cult favorite Bubba Ho-Tep. He also took memorable roles in the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy, Disney’s Sky High, and all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films.
On television, Campbell starred in the cult Fox series The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and recurred as the King of Thieves on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. He expanded his range with appearances on Homicide: Life on the Street, The X-Files, and a seven-year run on USA’s hit Burn Notice. His recent TV work includes starring roles in Hallmark’s One December Night and A Southern Family Christmas.
In voice acting, Campbell contributed to Spider-Man, Evil Dead, Call of Duty, Disney’s Tangled, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Cars 2, and Amazon’s Invincible. He’s also hosted programs like Ripley’s Believe It or Not for Travel Channel, Discontinued on Amazon, and the geek-themed game show Last Fan Standing, which recently completed a sold-out twenty-city tour.
Practicing what he calls “job rotation,” Bruce also enjoys his role as an author, with three New York Times bestsellers under his belt – a memoir entitled If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, the sequel, Hail to the Chin and his first novel, Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way.
He continues to share his acting and filmmaking experiences by lecturing at universities, including Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon and Stanford. He currently resides with his wife, Ida Gearon, in Oregon.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Ernie & Emma represents a return to truly independent filmmaking. I refer to it as “crawling back into the womb,” because this is the first time since the original Evil Dead, where I've made a movie entirely outside the studio system.
What independent movies lack in budget, they gain in a singular vision, with creative decisions slaving to the story, not the marketing department. I think audiences can feel the difference between a film made by committee and one made by a handful of like-minded individuals. Quirky stories with odd-ball characters appeal to me, and independent films are more likely to embrace these characteristics.
I love working with people that I know, plain and simple. This familiarity allows for a shorthand in communication and makes a challenging process way more enjoyable. To that end, Ernie & Emma is my version of “getting the band back together,” collaborating with creative pals, some of whom go all the way back to Evil Dead.
Over the years, I've shot in far-flung locations – Costa Rica, Colombia, Bulgaria, New Zealand - and while those experiences were enriching, they weren't entirely necessary. Movies are often shot in distant locations simply because the host country offers a better tax rebate, or exchange rate, or cheaper crews, which tends to serve the budget more than the project itself.
By producing Ernie & Emma independent of studio obligations, we were able to film in actual Oregon locations, at the ideal time of year (Oregon is beautiful in June!), with local acting talent. On top of that, I got to sleep in my own bed making a movie – something I hadn't done in decades!