Naman Shrestha
Co-written and directed by Sébastien Vaniček, ‘Evil Dead Burn’ is a standalone sequel to the 2013 film ‘Evil Dead’ and the 2023 ‘Evil Dead Rise.’ The supernatural horror movie follows Alice, who struggles to cope with the recent passing of her beloved husband. In an attempt to deal with the grief, she moves in with her late husband’s family at their secluded family home. The reunion soon turns deadly as Alice’s in-laws transform into Deadites one by one after demonic entities from the Book of the Dead enter the fray. Serving as the sixth installment in the ‘Evil Dead’ film series, it follows the pattern of previous installments of being set in an isolated cabin in the woods. The house of Alice’s in-laws serves as an additional character that turns from a shelter to a horrific nightmare and a home to evil forces.
Evil Dead Burn Filming Locations
The shooting for ‘Evil Dead Burn’ was conducted in New Zealand, especially in Auckland. Principal photography for the horror film got underway in July 2025 under the working title ‘Evil Dead Wrath’ and went on for nearly three months before wrapping up in October of the same year. Thanks to New Zealand’s diverse landscapes, it served as an ideal filming destination for the Sébastien Vaniček directorial.
Auckland, New Zealand
The city of Auckland, in the northern part of New Zealand’s North Island, hosted the production of the horror film. Director Sébastien Vanicek and the team went all in across several spots in the metropolis to create a visual aesthetic that retains the magic of the predecessors in the ‘Evil Dead’ franchise. For months, the cast and crew worked relentlessly to bring the creative vision to life. It is no surprise that the films in the franchise are packed with bloody gore, often pushing the limits of what some horror fans can stomach. With ‘Evil Dead Burn,’ the team attempted to not only honor the legacy but also went a step beyond to furnish a brutally visceral horror outing.
From what we can tell, they relied heavily on practical effects and makeup to recreate the atmospheric dread and gore. In an interview with People, Hunter Doohan, who portrays Joseph, shared that he actually watched all the films in the franchise to immerse himself in the lore. Talking about a wild car sequence taped over days inside a car, Doohan said: “I read that on the page and I was like, ‘How the f— are we going to do this?’ It was four or five days just filming it in the car, not even including rehearsals. We’d have to jump into these moments that are so intense, and then we’d rearrange and do it all over again. We pretty much shot that sequence in order because there are so many injuries being added along the way. It was really crazy to shoot, but fun.”
Speaking with Phantasmag, the actor shared that the intensity of the filming was such that the basic dialogue-driven scenes felt like a respite. “Once the shit hits the fan, this film is relentless and nonstop. And there is no such thing as a typical day on an Evil Dead set. Other than the fact that every day we’re showing up and thinking, Oh, my God, we have another crazy f—ing scene to shoot. I remember I had this quieter moment with Tandi in the attic, and we were like, ‘Whoa, this is weird — we’re just doing a dialogue scene,” Doohan explained.
In the end, for all its chaotic, blood-soaked sequences and elaborate practical effects, the overall experience of shooting in New Zealand left him with memories he will cherish. After all, it is where the son of Australian tennis legend Peter Doohan got to spend quality time with his extended family. Over the course of the shooting in the City of Sails, the cast and crew members of ‘Evil Dead Burn’ also developed a strong connection with one another.
Read More: Evil Dead Rise: Where Was the Horror Movie Filmed?
