‘Evil Dead Burn’ Director Sébastien Vaniček Reveals the Secret Behind the Franchise’s Longevity (EXCLUSIVE)

Few horror franchises have stood the test of time quite like “Evil Dead.” Balancing gore with emotional stories, “Evil Dead Burn” writer-director Sébastien Vaniček brings his own vision to the beloved franchise while staying true to what he believes has always been its defining strength - the characters.

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Speaking to Variety India, the filmmaker explains that while audiences may remember the Deadites and the bloodshed, the soul of “Evil Dead” lies elsewhere. He says, "The soul will always be the characters. If you care about the characters, you will be scared for them. You will be involved in the story. It’s all about that. When you have good characters, you have a good story. All the 'Evil Dead' movies have had good characters. Hence, the franchise is still alive today."

Although “Evil Dead Burn” is expected to find audiences across the world, including India, Vaniček says he has never believed in tailoring stories for individual markets. Instead, he prefers writing stories that speak to human beings universally. He shares, "The goal is to create universal stories, so we are not aiming for a particular market. I am French, so I didn’t write a story because I wanted to please the American or European people. We are human beings. We are trying to create stories for human beings. That’s why we are talking about love, bonds and relationships. We have them all around the world. I hope this is a story that will resonate with people all around the world. I hope people will be able to identify with the story." While he hopes Indian audiences connect with the film, he insists that was never the objective during the writing process. "I’m only making movies. I hope it resonates with the people in India. But the idea is not to aim at a particular country,” he adds.

Away from ‘Evil Dead,’ Vaniček's love for horror cinema stretches across decades, and if given the chance to own a famous movie prop, he would skip the chainsaw entirely in favor of James Cameron's “Aliens.” (1986) "It would be one of the rifles in 'Aliens.' They are so cool. I would love to showcase one on my wall as a prop. 'Alien' is a horror franchise I love.”

However, despite his admiration for several long-running series, he believes audiences often place too much importance on franchises rather than individual films. He shares, "It’s not about franchises. It’s about good movies. 'It Follows' (2014) was a great horror movie. 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar' are amazing horror movies. I haven’t seen ‘Obsession’ or ‘Backrooms’, but I am sure these are great movies too. The makers of these movies may create franchises due to their popularity. It is about the movie itself, not about the sequel or the prequel."

For Vaniček, every creative decision while writing and directing “Evil Dead Burn” ultimately came back to one goal, making audiences feel something inside a theatre. He wanted the film to be as physical as it was emotional. "I always think about the audience and the theatrical experience. I tried to create the most visceral and physical movie that hurts. I wanted to create a movie that moves people. The theatrical experience is very important to me. Horror movies are the best way for people to gather in a room. People can experience important things physically. It’s like a rollercoaster when you are going to a park or a resort. You want to be afraid, you want to laugh and you want to feel things. That’s the kind of movie I tried to create. And that’s what I had in mind while directing 'Evil Dead Burn,’” he concludes.