It was a big weekend at the box office, with Disney unleashing its live-action version of Moana in theaters. But it was a big one for horror fans as well with Warner Bros. also unleashing Evil Dead Burn, the sixth installment in the long-running franchise. It was sort of a David vs. Goliath situation. Goliath technically came out on top, but David won in the end.
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Evil Dead Burn opened to an estimated $13.7 million domestically, placing fourth on the charts for the weekend. It also took in $13.3 million overseas for a $27 million global start. It placed behind Toy Story 5 ($18.5 million), Minions & Monsters ($20.5 million) and Moana ($43 million). The problem for Disney is that Moana cost a fortune to make, reportedly around $250 million, and came in well below expectations. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. had a much better return on investment.
Directed by Sébastien Vanicek, the latest Evil Dead carries a reported $20 million production budget. With an opening of this size, it will be just fine. If it legs out, it could do comparable business to Lee Cronin’s The Mummy ($13.5 million opening/$90.5 million worldwide). Even if it just does so-so business from here on out, it could do Crime 101 numbers ($14.2 million opening/$72.9 million worldwide). That’s more than enough to keep this franchise alive.
In Evil Dead Burn, After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. They are slowly transformed into Deadites, turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell. The cast includes Souheila Yacoub, Luciane Buchanan, Hunter Doohan, Erroll Shand and Tandi Wright.
In terms of how this ranks for the franchise overall, 2023’s Evil Dead Rise posted a $40 million global opening, including $24.5 million domestically. That said, that movie was received a little better by critics and audiences. It had also been a full decade since 2013’s Evil Dead, which opened to $25.7 million, meaning it was a little more novel. Either way, even when lowering the bar a bit, this remains a profitable franchise for all involved.
Looking ahead, Warner Bros. already had Evil Dead Wrath on deck for 2028 from director Francis Galluppi. As long as these movies continue to make money, it seems unlikely that the powers that be are going to let the franchise go dormant for a full decade again. As long as the quality remains consistent, that's good news for fans of the genre.
Evil Dead Burn is in theaters now.
