The film opens with a heist gone wrong. Thieves steal an ancient carved statue from a museum—unaware it contains the sarcophagus of the Djinn (Andrew Divoff). During a shootout, a bullet cracks the statue open, releasing the Djinn. He’s taken to prison after being mistaken for a bystander. There, he befriends inmate Morgana (Holly Fields), who unwittingly makes a wish that unleashes him fully. Now free, the Djinn resumes his quest to collect 1,001 souls to open a portal and unleash his kind on Earth. The only one who can stop him is Morgana—now his reluctant “master.”
| Character | Actor | Notes | |-----------|-------|-------| | The Djinn / Nathaniel Demerest | Andrew Divoff | Genie-like entity who twists wishes literally and fatally. Divoff’s performance is the highlight. | | Morgana Truscott | Holly Fields | A con artist and thief who accidentally becomes the Djinn’s master. | | Prison Warden | Tommy “Tiny” Lister | Unlucky authority figure. | | Father Gregory | Paul Johansson | Prison chaplain with a past. | | Steven Verdel | Carlos Leon | Morgana’s ex-partner in crime. |
The Djinn (Andrew Divoff): Divoff is the anchor of the film. His performance is theatrical, embracing the villain’s sadistic pleasure in twisting words. Unlike the first film’s polished antagonist, Divoff’s Djinn in the sequel leans into a rougher, more cynical persona, particularly in his human disguise as a prison inmate. His deep, raspy voice and prosthetic makeup remain effective scare tactics.
Morgana Truscott (Holly Fields): As the protagonist, Morgana is a departure from the first film's "final girl." She begins as a criminal and a thief, adding a layer of moral ambiguity. Her arc involves transitioning from self-preservation to spiritual redemption. While Fields commits to the role, the character often serves as a passive vessel for the plot's exposition until the finale. Wishmaster 2- Evil Never Dies
| Feature | Wishmaster (1997) | Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Budget/Scope | Higher budget, produced by Wes Craven. | Lower budget, Direct-to-Video. | | Setting | High-end Los Angeles / Art World. | Prison / Las Vegas Casino. | | Tone | Gothic horror with campy elements. | Darker, grittier, more cynical humor. | | Cameos | Packed with horror icons (Horay, Englund). | Fewer cameos, focus on lead performances. |
| Aspect | Details | |------------|--------------| | Title | Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies | | Director | Jack Sholder | | Writer | Jack Sholder (story & screenplay; Peter Atkins received “characters” credit) | | Producers | Pierre David, Clark Peterson, Noël A. Zanitsch | | Release Date | March 16, 1999 (USA, direct-to-video) | | Running Time | 93 minutes | | Budget | Approx. $2–3 million (estimated) | | Distributor | Artisan Entertainment |
Do not go into Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies expecting high art. Go into it expecting a movie where a man wishes himself into a stained-glass window, a woman wishes for a "big break" and has her spine snapped in half, and a demon in a three-piece suit delivers punchlines over a pile of corpses. The film opens with a heist gone wrong
It is fast. It is mean. It is hilarious. And it proves, definitively, that evil never dies—it just goes straight to video.
Final Verdict: A messy, ambitious, and wildly entertaining sequel that understands the wish-fulfillment genre better than most big-budget films. Andrew Divoff is a horror icon. The prison setting is inspired. And that self-impalement scene? Worth the price of admission alone.
Keywords used: Wishmaster 2, Evil Never Dies, Andrew Divoff, horror sequel, cult classic, Djinn, 90s horror, direct-to-video, prison horror. | Character | Actor | Notes | |-----------|-------|-------|
Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies serves as the direct-to-video sequel to the 1997 cult hit Wishmaster. While retaining the core premise of a malicious Djinn (Genie) granting twisted wishes to steal souls, the sequel shifts the setting from the opulent world of high-society art auctions to the grittier environments of casinos and prisons. The film relies heavily on the performance of Andrew Divoff, who reprises his role as the Djinn, balancing campy humor with genuine menace. Though limited by a lower budget and inconsistent pacing, the film remains a notable entry in late-90s horror for its practical effects and the lead actor’s charismatic villainy.
Critically, Wishmaster 2 received mixed-to-negative reviews. Critics often pointed to a thin script, uneven pacing, and a shift toward campiness, though the film found an audience among horror fans who enjoy inventive practical effects and the franchise’s mythos. It has since become a modest cult favorite for viewers who appreciate late-'90s horror sequels.