Evil Dead Just Refused to Stay Dead — And Spider-Man Is One Week Away
Sébastien Vaniček brings the deadites back on July 24 with Evil Dead Burn, Christopher Nolan's Odyssey dominates its second weekend, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day is exactly seven days out. July 2026 is the summer that won't stop giving.
Last week, Christopher Nolan brought Homer to IMAX and reminded everyone what event cinema looks like. This week? The deadites are back. And next week, Spider-Man swings into what might be the biggest opening weekend of the summer.
July isn't slowing down. It's accelerating.
The Main Event: Evil Dead Burn (July 24, Theaters)
The franchise that started with a $350,000 cabin in Tennessee in 1981 just keeps coming back — which, if you think about it, is the most Evil Dead thing possible.
Evil Dead Burn is the sixth film in the series, directed by Sébastien Vaniček, whose Infested was one of the nastiest creature features of 2023. Souheila Yacoub and Hunter Doohan lead a new standalone story — no Ash, no cabin, no direct sequel baggage. Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert are producing, Bruce Campbell is executive producing, and the Necronomicon presumably remains unread by anyone with common sense.
The last entry, Evil Dead Rise, proved the formula still works: $146 million worldwide on a $15 million budget. Move the setting, keep the deadites, let a new filmmaker bring their vision. Vaniček showed with Infested that he knows how to build tension in tight spaces and then unleash absolute chaos. That's basically the Evil Dead job description.
Anticipation: 7/10. Horror fans know. Everyone else is about to find out.
Still Dominating: The Odyssey (Week 2)
Nolan's $250 million IMAX epic is expected to hold strong in its second weekend. The first film ever shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras doesn't lose its visual pull after one week — if anything, word of mouth drives more people to the biggest screens they can find. Matt Damon's Odysseus, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson — the cast alone keeps selling tickets.
Expect The Odyssey to comfortably hold the #1 spot unless Evil Dead Burn pulls a surprise upset with horror audiences flooding Thursday previews.
Also in Theaters
Cut Off (week 2) — Jonah Hill's comedy counter-programming continues. Two wealthy siblings cut off by their parents, featuring Kristen Wiig and Bette Midler. Light counter-programming for anyone who's had enough IMAX spectacle.
Moana Live-Action (week 3) — Disney's latest remake is holding well, powered by Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga'aia. Family audiences are keeping this one in the top five.
Toy Story 5 (week 5) — Still in theaters, approaching its domestic ceiling. Pixar's franchise machine keeps grinding.
On Streaming This Week
The Dink (Apple TV+, July 24) — A pickleball comedy. Yes, really. Jake Johnson and Ed Harris lead this sports comedy from Josh Greenbaum, produced by Ben Stiller. Mary Steenburgen, Patton Oswalt, and Chloe Fineman round out a cast that's way too stacked for a movie about pickleball. Sometimes the weirdest premise gets the best talent.
House of the Dragon Season 3 continues on HBO — four episodes in and the war is escalating. If you've been waiting for the dragons to earn their screen time, this is the season.
Next Week: The Big One
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens July 31. Tom Holland returns. Zendaya returns. Sadie Sink joins as a new lead. Jon Bernthal is the Punisher. Michael Mando is the Scorpion. Destin Daniel Cretton directs.
This is the movie July has been building toward. No Way Home did $1.9 billion worldwide in 2021. Brand New Day doesn't need to match that — it just needs to deliver, and everything about the cast and creative team says it will.
Fun fact for the Sam Raimi fans: the guy who created The Evil Dead in a Tennessee cabin also directed the original Spider-Man trilogy. This week and next week are basically a Raimi double feature — his horror franchise and his superhero franchise, back to back.
The Bottom Line
Evil Dead on Thursday. Spider-Man next week. The Odyssey still commanding every IMAX screen. A pickleball comedy on Apple TV+ because why not.
Summer 2026 isn't just stacked — it's relentless. Your schedule doesn't stand a chance.
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