Evil Dead Burn: Halloween Double Feature at Disney Village

On Friday, October 30, 2026, Gaumont Disney Village in Chessy turned its Halloween celebrations into a showcase for one of contemporary French horror cinema’s most striking careers. In Screen 15, audiences watched two features directed by Sébastien Vaniček: his breakthrough film Vermines (Infested internationally) and his Hollywood franchise entry Evil Dead Burn. The scheduled screenings began at 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., respectively, creating a rare opportunity to experience the two films back to back on the big screen.

The evening went beyond a conventional double bill. As documented by Mulderville’s photographs and event account, Sébastien Vaniček appeared onstage with another participant, answering questions from the host and audience after each screening. The photographs capture microphones, gestures, exchanges and a relaxed atmosphere in front of the cinema screen. The second participant is not identified here because the supplied photographic evidence does not establish his name. For fans, the attraction was the chance to trace a filmmaker’s development across two very different production scales in a single evening.

From Vermines to the Evil Dead Franchise

Released in France in December 2023, Vermines places an escalating spider infestation inside a residential building. Its strength lies in treating an outrageous premise through the recognizable reactions of people trapped together under pressure. The film travelled internationally, including to the Venice film festival, and reached English-speaking audiences as Infested. Its combination of physical tension, confined spaces and social observation attracted the attention of American producers, opening an unexpected route from a French debut to a major horror property.

According to the official Evil Dead Burn press kit, Sébastien Vaniček initially resisted offers to direct scripts already written by others. His discussions with New Line Cinema and Ghost House Pictures were different: the producers invited him to propose his own vision of Evil Dead, without requiring a direct sequel or prequel. He immediately turned to Florent Bernard, his Vermines co-writer. Together, they developed a treatment that transformed the familiar battle against demonic possession into a tragic story about love, grief and the difficulty of breaking destructive bonds.

Evil Dead Burn: A Family Reunion from Hell

At the centre of Evil Dead Burn is Alice, played by Souheila Yacoub. Following her husband’s funeral, she visits his family’s secluded home for a final commemorative meal. The gathering descends into horror as relatives become Deadites, turning mourning into a desperate struggle for survival. Yet the film’s central question is not simply who will escape: it asks what marriage vows, loyalty and emotional dependence mean when love itself has become threatening. The result is a standalone chapter in the series begun by Sam Raimi in 1981.

The supporting ensemble includes Tandi Wright as Susan, Hunter Doohan as Joseph, Luciane Buchanan as Thya, Erroll Shand as Edgar and Maude Davey as Polly. Produced by Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi, the film was released in France by Metropolitan Filmexport on July 8, 2026, followed by its US theatrical opening on July 10. The official French press materials give a running time of approximately 110 minutes. Its appearance in the Halloween programme offered audiences a return to the film just months after its original release.

Why Love and Domestic Violence Shape the Horror

In the film’s official production interview, Sébastien Vaniček explains that he and Florent Bernard revisited the franchise before deciding that its emotional core could be a tragic love story. The image of fire grew naturally from this idea: passion can sustain a relationship, but it can also consume it. Their interpretation makes Alice’s relationship with her late husband and her mother-in-law central to the supernatural conflict, rather than using family drama merely as an excuse for elaborate kills.

The director also describes a careful approach to violence against women. He wanted Alice’s injuries and reactions to feel credible, resisting the temptation to reduce the character to a triumphant, invulnerable horror heroine. Souheila Yacoub likewise explains in the press kit that she sought a complicated woman who could be frightened, confused and imperfect. That insistence on emotional realism is an important bridge between Vermines and Evil Dead Burn: both films put ordinary human vulnerability beneath extraordinary genre spectacle.

Souheila Yacoub and the Physical Demands of Filming

The collaboration with Souheila Yacoub began long before Evil Dead Burn. Producer Harry Tordjman introduced the director to the actress after a performance of Wajdi Mouawad’s play Tous des oiseaux. She was considered for Vermines, but other commitments prevented that first collaboration. The new film finally brought them together, with the filmmaker particularly drawn to her ability to communicate through movement and physical performance.

Filming in New Zealand proved exceptionally demanding. In the official interview, Souheila Yacoub recalls that a complex continuous-shot sequence required roughly eight to twelve takes, with precise timing between her movements, the camera, props and stunt performers. Her background in gymnastics helped her approach the scene as choreography. She also describes the exhaustion of maintaining the emotional intensity of one fictional night across months of production, alongside the isolation of working far from home during the New Zealand winter.

Everyday Objects, Hidden References and a French Identity

The director’s inventiveness extends to the film’s weapons and visual references. Rather than merely reproduce the franchise’s iconic chainsaw, Sébastien Vaniček and Florent Bernard explored a garden centre for potential implements of mayhem. An open dishwasher also became a source of inspiration. These everyday objects reinforce the unsettling idea that familiar domestic surroundings can suddenly turn hostile, while preserving the physical, mischievous spirit associated with the series.

The press kit also reveals discreet nods to the director’s origins: a wine bottle marked 93, a videotape referencing Vermines, an arachnid callback and Nike TN trainers. Music strengthens that French identity, including an original end-credits contribution involving rapper Chilla. The score comes from Double Danger, the duo of Douglas Cavanna and Xavier Caux. For a filmmaker working within an American franchise, these details underline a determination to retain the cultural references and creative personality that shaped his first feature.

Crafting a New Chapter of a Cult Horror Series

The film’s technical team includes cinematographer Philip Lozano, editor Maxime Caro, production designer Nick Connor and costume designer Sarah Voon. In the official interview, Sébastien Vaniček discusses the importance of rapid cutting, sound and camera movement in making audiences experience violence almost physically. He also credits editor Nassim Gordji Tehrani with contributing an essential perspective on the characters and themes. Such choices help explain why the film pursues sensory intensity while grounding its most disturbing ideas in family relationships.

Critical reaction has been divided, a reminder that the franchise’s appetite for extreme imagery remains contentious. Reviews have praised the film’s ambition and brutal set pieces while questioning whether its relentless violence always serves its themes. Regardless of individual responses, Evil Dead Burn represents a significant creative leap: a filmmaker who began with a distinctly French urban nightmare was entrusted with a universe associated with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and generations of horror fans.

A Memorable Halloween Night at Gaumont Disney Village

What made the October 30 event special was the pairing itself. Watching Vermines immediately before Evil Dead Burn foregrounded the continuities in Sébastien Vaniček’s filmmaking: confined environments, kinetic staging, ordinary people in impossible situations and horror that emerges from recognizably human tensions. The post-screening exchanges, captured in Mulderville’s event photographs, added a direct connection between the audience and the filmmaking process without requiring a festival trip or a separate industry event.

For Gaumont Disney Village, the evening demonstrated the appeal of director-led repertory programming during Halloween. The cinema’s combination of two films and onstage conversations turned a seasonal celebration into a small retrospective of a rapidly evolving career. It is precisely the kind of event that rewards horror enthusiasts who want not only to watch frightening films, but also to understand the artistic decisions behind them.

You can discover our photos in our Flickr page

Event Recap

Title: Halloween Double Screening — Vermines (Infested) and Evil Dead Burn
Where: Chessy, Gaumont Disney Village, Esplanade François-Truffaut, Screen 15
When: Friday, October 30, 2026; Vermines at 7:30 p.m. and Evil Dead Burn at 10:00 p.m.
What: Two horror-film screenings followed by audience discussions featuring director Sébastien Vaniček, with the event documented in Mulderville’s photographic coverage.
Film release reminder: Evil Dead Burn opened in France on July 8, 2026, and in the United States on July 10, 2026.

Synopsis :
After her husband’s funeral, Alice goes to her in-laws’ secluded home to share a final meal in his memory. But the family gathering turns into a nightmare when her loved ones, one by one, transform into demonic creatures. Faced with this hellish ordeal, Alice discovers that the vows she once made continue to bind her to her husband… far beyond death.

Evil Dead Burn
Directed by Sébastien Vaniček
Written by Sébastien Vaniček, Florent Bernard
Based on The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi
Produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi
Starring  Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, Maude Davey
Cinematography : Philip Lozano
Edited by Maxime Caro
Music by Double Danger
Production companies : New Line Cinema, Screen Gems, Ghost House Pictures
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures (United States), Metropolitan FilmExport (France)
Release date : July 8, 2026 (France), July 10, 2026 (United States)
Running time : 109 minutes

Photos and Video 4K : Boris Colletier / Mulderville