To say that we love the Evil Dead franchise here at CinemaBlend is probably an understatement, as the first three films made our list of the best horror movies of all time, with Ash vs. Evil Dead gleefully delivering some of TV’s grossest sequences. And even though French filmmaker Sebastien Vaniček’s upcoming horror movie Evil Dead Burn is another standalone entry that aims more for extreme terror than anything comedic, it still comes with a seal of approval from OGs Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi. Evil Dead Burn's first trailer offered a compacted smor-gore-sbord of the intensity that horror fans can anticipate when the 2026 movie releases on July 10, and Vaniček talked to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend for the newest issue about being heavily influenced by the hyper-violent films that sparked the New French Extremity moniker. But no need to fear it feeling like a completely different horror movie. The director shared that Ash Williams himself, Bruce Campbell, had but one request when they first talked about Burn’s approach. In his words:We had some meetings about writing and everything. He was telling me, ‘Please respect this and that because we love this franchise deeply. It’s important to us and it’s important to fans.’ So he was just basically protecting his children. I was like, ‘I’m 100% with you.’ Gotta love hearing that Campbell only wanted the newest franchise director to stick to the mission statement, but without attempting to convince Vaniček to go in any specific directions with it. It's not entirely unexpected, but still means a lot.Bruce Campbell essentially retired from portraying Ash in live-action, and previously turned down opportunities to make cameos in the current era of Evil Dead features. What's more, the actor candidly revealed he was diagnosed with a treatable-but-not-curable cancer, which has obviously had an impact on his day-to-day life. Sebastien Vaniček paid Campbell a mighty big compliment as well, saying this about the fan-favorite actor:He’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met.He's a one-of-a-kind treasure, that guy. I can't wait to hear what Bruce Campbell thinks about Evil Dead Burn as a finished product, and whether or not he thinks the actors suffered more than he did under Sam Raimi's direction. (Probably not.)(Image credit: Warner Bros.)Speaking of the esteemed genre master, Evil Dead Burn's Vaniček shared that Raimi allowed himself to be an open book — but not like a cursed one with human skin for its cover — if and when any questions came up or advice was needed. The French filmmaker praised that process, saying:He understands everything that’s going on in a young director’s mind. He understands the pressure and what the studio is asking. He’s like, ‘Do your thing, have fun, just enjoy every minute.’ And when you have a question or you need him, he’s there.We've come a long way from 1981's The Evil Dead, but just like its garish and malicious monsters, this franchise always comes back, and it gets nastier every time. But in a good way, and not like old milk. Have fun celebrating America's independence, because by July 10, Evil Dead Burn will be pouring hot wax all over everything in sight.