Evil Dead Burn Cast Reveal What It's Really Like To Star In A Movie This Gruesome [Exclusive]

The "Evil Dead" franchise has existed for more than 40 years now, and has birthed fans of both itself as well as the horror genre at large over that time (this writer very much included). Part of the appeal of being an "Evil Dead" fan lies in the variety of ways you can express your fandom. No matter which flavor of fan you are, it's likely that you've heard numerous stories of woe from behind the scenes. From original star Bruce Campbell getting tortured by director Sam Raimi to "Evil Dead Rise" star Lily Sullivan wading through gallons of blood for Lee Cronin, fans know the one constant when it comes to making an "Evil Dead" movie: It's a rough time.

This month's "Evil Dead Burn" more than lives up to the series' potential when it comes to delivering brutality, mayhem, and gruesome gore. As such, it wouldn't be a bit surprising to hear that the cast and crew went through just as much hardship as those of the prior movies or the "Ash Vs. Evil Dead" TV series. But when I got to speak to the cast of the film recently, I was surprised to learn that they had a good time making the movie, for the most part. As it happened, Souhelia Yacoub (who plays Alice), Hunter Doohan (Joseph), and Luciane Buchanan (Thya) were more than up to the challenge set for them by director and co-writer Sébastien Vaniček. They were so game, thanks to being impressed by Vanicek's commitment to tone and character, they also went the extra mile in getting to ad-lib some of the film's most memorable moments. In a first for the "Evil Dead" franchise, the cast of "Burn" discuss their experience making the movie without any tinges of regret.

Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Being a lifelong "Evil Dead" fan, I've read so many stories about the actors on these movies going through the ringer and really having a hard time. So now that you are all on the other side of "Burn," if you could go back to yourselves before filming and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be to get through it?

Souheila Yacoub: Hang in there. [All laugh]

Luciane Buchanan: Yeah.

Hunter Doohan: I don't know. I know that's the thing, and we got warned about it. I had so much fun. For me, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Really? That's great to hear.

Hunter Doohan: I think we got exactly what we signed up for when we read that script. I mean, it is relentless from the beginning.

Souheila Yacoub: Yeah, this is part of our job: not knowing what we're going through and just discovering on set –

Luciane Buchanan: As we go. Yeah.

Souheila Yacoub: — as we go. And this was the most fun.

Well, that's awesome to hear. So for you, Souheila, for Alice, you make her such a compelling character that the Deadites don't even have to show up to make this an engaging movie. Did you give her a very detailed backstory, or did you just build it from the outside in? How did you approach playing Alice?

Souheila Yacoub: Actually, the director, when he offered me the part, he said, "I really want it to be a feminist movie." And I don't like the word "feminist movie" — I don't know what that means when it comes to that. I was like, "Is it because you talk about domestic violence, or you want to create a great female character who is complex, who is strong but also weak, who's just human?" Because I'm not very familiar with horror movies, if I'm being honest. I am pretty scared pretty easily. So the only thing that I had in mind, as a Final Girl, was [the] very cliche [idea] of this strong badass woman. And I didn't want it to be just that. I wanted to be more than that. I wanted people to be moved at the end of the movie. I really tried to work on the character as I tried on other movies that I did. It was just ... yeah, it wasn't that easy.

All of the characters in the film get hurt, but Hunter, you, for me at least, sell pain really well.

Souheila Yacoub: Yes, his looks.

What was your trick to keep that intensity on set all the time?

Hunter Doohan: I think that was the trick of this movie for everybody, was [to] keep on raising the stakes. There was only a few times when Sébastien, he said he wanted to let the pressure off only occasionally. But other than that, it was like, just how do you come in and keep raising the stakes? But I don't know, the pain ... we had really good practical props and stuff to work off of, and then it's just a fun imagination. Like, "Oh, what would it feel like to fall on knives?" [laughs]

Luciane Buchanan: Yeah. It was so good. It's so realistic as well. You would just go there in a second. And he did a lot of his stunts. Your stunt doubles did a good amount ...[All laugh]

Souheila Yacoub: A lot! I mean, come on.

Luciane Buchanan: But you were so game for everything, like you falling back into the kitchen. I was like, "Oh my God, that was really believable." So yeah, it was awesome to watch.

Well you, Luciane, are having so much fun, it looks like. Did you get to improvise at all verbally or physically when you were shooting?

Luciane Buchanan: Yeah, there was lots of little moments. To be specific, [the script] would just be, you know, "picks up the candle and she drinks it," so you have to find a way to make my way over to the table. And how does she walk? Licking his face, little moments like that.

Hunter Doohan: Yeah, she came up with that all on her own.

Luciane Buchanan: Yeah. And how I tease Polly, how does that look? Yeah, all these little things. It just says "grab her dentures," so we're like, "How gross can we make this?"

Hunter Doohan: Your physicality throughout the whole thing was just so specific and great.

Souheila Yacoub: I love it. So cool.

"Evil Dead Burn" arrives in theaters on July 10, 2026.