Souheila Yacoub Details Her INITIAL Thoughts on Reading ‘Evil Dead Burn’ Script: “I Felt Bad For…”
For upcoming horror star Souheila Yacoub, the sheer terror of Evil Dead Burn started long before she ever stepped foot on a film set. The actress, who takes on the role of Alice in the highly anticipated franchise installment, has revealed that director Sébastien Vaniček’s aggressively paced screenplay left her utterly breathless and emotionally spent from the very first read.
Recalling her first experience with the screenplay, Yacoub admits she simply couldn’t put it down despite how overwhelming it felt. “I remember how I felt after the reading… I was really exhausted and tired. There was a lot going on, especially for my character. I couldn’t stop reading. It was like ‘When does it end?… again, again, again, again, action again, blood again!’ I felt bad for Alice!”
The actress says the screenplay itself reflected Sébastien Vaniček’s unique filmmaking style, giving her a clear sense of the intensity he wanted to bring to the screen. “He has a really particular editing style that is very rough and very aggressive. And I knew he was going to make a very rough and dynamic movie.”
In Evil Dead Burn, Yacoub plays Alice, a French woman who moves to the United States after falling in love, only to find herself trapped with her late husband’s family following his sudden death. While supernatural horrors begin to consume the family, Alice is simultaneously forced to confront years of emotional repression and a life she no longer feels connected to.
Speaking about her character, Yacoub explains that Alice’s emotional journey begins long before the horror unfolds. “She’s a French girl. She left her country to move to the US because she fell in love with an American guy. She accepted too much and forgot a little bit about herself.” She further reveals that Alice had already begun questioning her own life before tragedy struck. “She was already in the middle of a process, wanting to change something about her life, to get free of something she can’t quite name. She wanted to leave, but because her husband dies, she’s stuck with her in-laws, trying to keep going with the life she no longer wants.”
As the terrifying events go out of control, Alice’s bottled-up emotions finally erupt. “All the rage she’s kept inside… at some point she just breaks and finally says everything she’s wanted to say for so long.”
Yacoub credits director Sébastien Vaniček for creating an environment that encouraged collaboration while remaining committed to his creative vision. “He was really open to what I gave. It was a beautiful collaboration. He’s like a kid on set. He loves his job so much, and that joy spreads.”
Interestingly, Yacoub admits that she has never been a natural horror fan. Knowing how easily she gets scared and frightened, one of her close friends created a special version of the original The Evil Dead, replacing its scariest moments with kittens and playful commentary. The actress describes the thoughtful edit as “the cutest and most thoughtful gift,” allowing her to familiarise herself with the franchise without being overwhelmed by its scares.
Once filming began, however, there was no escaping the physical intensity of the role. From carrying heavy equipment to filming emotionally demanding sequences for hours, Yacoub says the experience pushed her beyond anything she had imagined. “Even though you train, you are never really prepared for this. It’s hours of me holding a brush cutter and crying and breathing and screaming at the same time.”
Looking back on the experience, Yacoub believes Evil Dead Burn offers audiences something far more daring than a conventional horror film. “There are so many things I’ve never seen before. I really admire Sébastien’s boldness. It doesn’t feel like a conventional horror movie. It’s rough, it’s hard, and it’s full of surprises.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment India brings Evil Dead Burn to cinemas on 10th July, in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
By Keerti Kadam