In recent years, the Evil Dead series has not messed about. While Sam Raimi’s sequels fused his hardcore horror sensibilities with gallons of slapstick gore, the likes of Fede Alvarez’s 2013 Evil Dead and Lee Cronin’s 2023 Evil Dead Rise have veered closer to the transgressive terror of Raimi’s original film; albeit with a sadistic wink in their eye. Next up is the turn of French filmmaker Sebastien Vaniček, whose Evil Dead Burn will subject a new family to the hellish exploits of Kandarian demons. The Necronomicon is open for business once more.
At the heart of the madness this time is Souheila Yacoub’s Alice, playing on a different register to Bruce Campbell’s outlandish Ash. “When we created Alice, we wanted a character who’s really grounded,” Vaniček explains. “She’s mourning someone, she arrives in this house, and crazy stuff happens. I wanted to create characters that are behaving like it’s real life.”
While Alice won’t have a chainsaw hand, Vaniček is still pulling ideas that spring from fighting Deadites in a domestic space. “I really want the audience to feel different when they use their dishwasher after watching the movie,” he says. And Alice will really have her work cut out, battling the Necronomicon’s nastiest. “I needed to stay in touch with what makes these demons not like the ones from The Exorcist,” says Vaniček. “They are smart. They are playing with you. When I was talking with the actors, I was telling them, ‘Behave like animals.’ Every one of these Deadites has a fighting style that is completely different.” Expect a groovy time at the movies.
Read Empire’s full Evil Dead Burn story in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day issue, on sale Thursday June 4. Order a copy online here. Evil Dead Burn comes to cinemas from July 10.
