Evil Dead Burn Director Breaks Down the Film's Brutal, Controversial Style

Director Sébastien Vaniček discussed the brutal and controversial moments in his new film Evil Dead Burn in an interview with Variety, including the decision to kill a dog and his creative freedom from franchise creators Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert.

Vaniček is the director behind the 2026 horror sequel, which follows a grieving widow whose in-laws transform into demonic Deadites.

What controversial choice did the director make?

The film intentionally breaks a fundamental cinematic rule by killing a dog, a choice Vaniček knew audiences would hate. “If you don’t do that in ‘Evil Dead,’ in which movie do you do that? These are the most insane, wild and basically evil movies,” he told Variety. He added that there are no limits for the franchise, which also features a character being impaled with a car seat headrest and having hot candle wax poured in her mouth.

How much creative freedom did he have?

Vaniček said producers at Ghost House Pictures, including Sam Raimi, told him the movie would be “100% my style.” After aligning on their understanding of the franchise, they gave him carte blanche regarding the style, violence, and brutality. This level of freedom surprised the director, who said he would have made another film in France without it.

How were the brutal effects achieved?

Vaniček emphasized a practical effects approach. “Everything that could have been done practically was done practically,” he said. This included using real fire on set to light scenes, which was a long and intense challenge. The only elements requiring CGI were holes in characters' faces; even the final monster was largely practical with digital enhancements.

He also highlighted a tense dinner table scene as one of the most challenging, requiring precise storyboarding, sound design, and rehearsals with the actors to build tension without action. The film is now playing in theaters.