Following the unexpected success of 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, hopes were high that the series would gain a second wind theatrically.
However, despite the warm critical reception to Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn, the sequel has failed to light the box-office on fire.
In fact, some have even described the sixth Evil Dead entry as a “flop.”
Domestically, Evil Dead Burn was projected to open to $20 million, matching the estimate of the previous instalment.
However, the film fell far short of this mark, only bringing in $13.7 million by the weekend’s close. This marked a sharp downturn in profits for the brand, bringing in only 44% of Evil Dead Rise’s opening tally.
Ultimately, Evil Dead Burn finished in fourth place behind two holdovers and newcomer Moana.
Internationally, the movie brought in an additional $12.3 million from various markets, for a final worldwide tally of $25 million.
Against a production budget of $20 million, this seems reasonable. However, when factoring in marketing expenses, it’s likely Evil Dead Burn will have to make upwards of $60 million to break even. So, needless to say, the sequel still has a long way to go.
However, it was a bad weekend for every studio where the box-office was concerned this past weekend. Disney also found themselves seeing red with the debut performance of their live-action Moana remake.
Making only $42 million domestically, and $90 million worldwide, the movie continues an alarming downward trend for the legendary studio.
Holdovers Toy Story 5 and Minions and Monsters also saw a sharp decline in their takings, although still stand to turn a healthy profit.
So, was Evil Dead Burn just unlucky, falling victim to an oversaturated summer market? Or was it a weaker movie than the studios thought?
Furthermore, what will the underperformance of this sequel mean for 2028’s Evil Dead Wrath?
We’ll be sure to bring you all the latest as soon as we can.
