What You Need To Know Before You Watch ‘Evil Dead Burn’

The Deadites are rising again!

The latest installment of the Evil Dead franchise is set to terrify audiences once more with Evil Dead Burn. Described as a ‘family reunion from Hell’, the film follows a grieving wife who returns home to her family to seek solace, only to come under attack by the Deadites.

The film itself is being presented as a standalone offering within the Evil Dead franchise, but there are so many Easter eggs peppered throughout that it bridges multiple generations of Deadites, reboots, and chainsaw-wielding gore.

So, what do you need to know going in?

THERE IS MORE THAN ONE NECRONOMICON

(L-R) MAUDE DAVEY as Polly, SOUHEILA YACOUB as Alice, TANDI WRIGHT as Susan, and HUNTER DOOHAN as Joseph in New Line Cinema’s “Evil Dead Burn,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release

The Necronomicon, or ‘Book of the Dead’, is the catalyst for the chaos of the Deadites.

Read aloud, each book summons the demonic entities for different purposes and in Army of Darkness it was revealed that there are three different Necronomicons. There was the first one that Ash and his friends uncovered in the cabin back in 1981, which he held on to during the events of Ash vs. The Evil Dead. Then, a new ‘Book of the Dead’ came to light in an abandoned cabin during the 2013 Evil Dead reboot before one was revealed to be buried under an LA apartment complex in Evil Dead Rises.

The Necronomicon that was featured in the Evil Dead Burn trailer has been hotly debated as to whether it is an entirely new ‘Book of the Dead’, as it was shown to contain newspaper clippings referencing the original 1981 Evil Dead film and the fire that engulfed the cabin in 2013. With Ash’s Necronomicon changing hands throughout the series, and with the sister’s Necronomicon assumedly still locked below the apartment during the events of 2013, it raises the question of how this book contains the clipping? Is this a brand-new Necronomicon we will be seeing, or will it be one of the other three resurfacing?

THE POSSESSIONS OF ‘EVIL DEAD RISE’ CONTINUES

The events of the trailer suggest a continuation of the demonic possessions born under the apartment in Evil Dead Rise, with a snippet of a possessed woman rising out of a lake that is reminiscent of the cold opening in the 2023 film.

LUCIANE BUCHANAN as Thya in New Line Cinema’s “Evil Dead Burn,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release

In Rise, a woman named Jessica gets possessed by the Deadites when she encounters the bloody aftermath in the parking garage of the crumbling apartment complex. The trailer has shown that Jessica will continue her Deadite possession in Evil Dead Burn – possibly setting the scene that leads the movie to Ruby’s house.

WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THE HOUSE THAT ‘EVIL DEAD BURN’ IS SET IN?

The setting for the latest Evil Dead movie is heavily tied to the series Ash vs. Evil Dead, with eagle-eyed fans declaring the house in the trailer as ‘Ruby’s House’ from the series. For those who may not have watched the series, Ruby is a character played by Lucy Lawless who is a ‘Dark One’ and considered the origin point and creator of the Necronomicons.

Setting Evil Dead Burn to take place inside Ruby’s house will uncover new connections and reveal more about the history behind the Dark Ones, whilst also giving a new story a chance to thrive on its own as well.

WHERE IS ASH WILLIAMS?

HUNTER DOOHAN as Joseph in New Line Cinema’s “Evil Dead Burn,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release

Bruce Campbell’s legendary Ash Williams character has been missing from the latest movie installments as the focus shifts away from ‘The Chosen One’ storyline to expand on the Deadite universe – but Campbell himself has not cut ties with the project and continues to tease possible returns of the chainsaw-handed hero.

So well-known for his turn as Ash that it spawned a spoof called My Name is Bruce, Bruce Campbell was last seen as Ash in a post-apocalyptic future driving a heavily armed futuristic version of his Delta 88 to continue the battle against the Deadites.

So, while Ash Williams may be saving the world in the not-too-distant future, it did leave the door open for possible returns, as this is not the first time-travelling experience Ash has had. The attempted destruction of the Necronomicon in Evil Dead 2 led to him being spat out in the Middle Ages in Army of Darkness – which he did return from – so who is to say our favourite hero won’t make an appearance?

It does also leave the door open for possible returns of Pablo, Kelly and Brandy from Ash vs. The Evil Dead, who were all still alive at the end of the TV series. While it seems unlikely to get a visit from any of the previous stars in the new Evil Dead Burn it could also set up a storyline that brings the fan favourites back. Evil Dead Wrath has already been announced for a 2028 release, and it will be interesting to see if this new story paves the way for a return of some familiar faces and maybe even a chainsaw hand.

So, whether you are well-versed in the timeline and lore of the Evil Dead franchise or not shouldn’t matter too much when it comes to Evil Dead Burn, as the story allows for viewers to enjoy a one-off gore fest if they so choose, whilst also subtly continuing the franchise that made such a “groovy” name for itself.

‘Evil Dead Burn’ is in cinemas July 9.