Sam Raimi's Legendary Horror Franchise Takes Over HBO Max With Its Latest Chapter

4 days ago 16

Sam Raimi in front of a red background at the LA premiere of Send Help

Published Oct 18, 2026, 2:14 PM EDT

Jennifer is a TV and Movie News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2022 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant.

Jennifer loves TV, especially science fiction. She also loves late-night talk shows, due to her insomnia. Alien: Earth is definitely one of her favorite shows, and she jumps on any chance she gets to write about it. Even on her days off, she will claim an Alien Earth article if one is available.

Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are two of her favorite late-night hosts, and Conan O'Brien before he left his show.

Her Alien: Earth coverage for ScreenRant is by far the work that she is most proud of so far.

She was initially a finance and political editor, but her passion for pop culture convinced her to transition into entertainment journalism.

During her off time, she loves to binge-watch cooking shows such as Kitchen Nightmares. Jennifer also loves spending time with her daughter and cherishes every moment of it.

Sam Raimi's legendary horror franchise has another major success to celebrate, as its latest installment has become a global streaming hit on HBO Max. More than four decades after the original movie introduced audiences to terrifying demonic possessions and relentless violence mixed with comedy, the franchise continues to attract viewers with its disturbing stories and gruesome imagery.

Released in theaters on July 10, 2026, Evil Dead Burn is the sixth installment in the long-running horror series. The film is directed by Sébastien Vaniček and produced by Raimi and Rob Tapert. It also features a large ensemble cast that includes Souheila Yacoub (Alice), Tandi Wright (Susan), Hunter Doohan (Joseph), and Luciane Buchanan (Thya). After its theatrical release, the film arrived on HBO Max just in time for the Halloween season, where it has found considerable success.

Evil Dead Burn Makes a Bloody Splash on HBO Max's Global Streaming Charts

Evil Dead Burn has become a major streaming success on HBO Max, clawing its way up to number one on the platform's worldwide top 10 streaming chart. The horror sequel reclaimed the top spot after briefly losing it to The Housemaid, outperforming several other popular movies, including Contagion, Superbad, V for Vendetta, and Zodiac. Its impressive performance comes just over two weeks after its October 2 streaming debut, showing the everlasting popularity of the franchise among horror fans. The timing of its streaming release also puts the movie in a great position as audiences look for popular horror titles to watch ahead of Halloween.

The latest installment follows Alice, a woman who visits her late husband's family at their secluded home following his death. However, what begins as an attempt to comfort one another quickly becomes a horrifying ordeal when members of the family are transformed into Deadites. The movie maintains the franchise's reputation for extreme violence and disturbing supernatural imagery while introducing a new cast of characters. Although Raimi did not direct the installment, he served as a producer, helping continue the legacy of the property he created. Evil Dead Burn also received an overall positive reaction from critics, earning a 70% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sam Raimi's Iconic Horror Franchise Continues To Thrive More Than 40 Years Later

Alyssa Sutherland’s Ellie peaking out of a bathtub in Evil Dead Rise

The hit horror film series began in 1981 with Raimi's original The Evil Dead, which introduced audiences to a group of friends encountering demonic forces in an isolated cabin. Starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, the low-budget horror movie eventually became a classic and launched one of the genre's most recognizable franchises. Raimi returned to direct Evil Dead II in 1987 and Army of Darkness in 1992, with both sequels expanding the series' origins and incorporating more dark comedy alongside the supernatural horror.

The franchise was later revived with Fede Álvarez's Evil Dead, which escalated the graphic violence and brought in a darker atmosphere. Ten years later, director Lee Cronin brought the Deadites into a Los Angeles apartment building with Evil Dead Rise, demonstrating that the series could move beyond its most common setting without losing its audience as it continues to thrive over four decades later.