‘I’ve Never Seen A Movie Like It’ Zach Cregger Teases His Resident Evil Movie And Why It’s Different From The Games

14 July 2025

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‘i’ve-never-seen-a-movie-like-it’-zach-cregger-teases-his-resident-evil-movie-and-why-it’s-different-from-the-games — ‘I’ve Never Seen A Movie Like It’ Zach Cregger Teases His Resident Evil Movie And Why It’s Different From The Games

Summary

Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot won’t strictly follow the games, aiming for an authentic experience.
Fans are divided on straying from the game’s lore, hoping for a fresh and compelling take.
With Cregger’s creative horror style, expectations are high for a quality adaptation, set to release on September 18, 2026.

Zach Cregger has made a name for himself in the horror movie genre, and all eyes are on his upcoming Resident Evil reboot. The filmmaker has recently shared what audiences can expect from his movie and how it compares to the beloved video game franchise.

A few years after the game first came out in 1996, Paul W.S. Anderson wrote and directed the first film in the franchise, which was released in 2002. Six more movies followed, including the 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Netflix also released a TV series in 2022, which disappointed fans and didn’t last longer than one season. Cregger’s reboot was announced in January 2025 and since then, fans have been curious about what the tone will be like. Although he has starred on sitcoms such as Wrecked and Guys with Kids, the filmmaker broke out with Barbarian, his unique and creative take on the home invasion thriller that was one of the most impressive 2022 horror movies. After producing the creepy robot movie Companion, he wrote and directed Weapons, a story of children who disappear that stars Julia Garner and Josh Brolin. Now, as Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot inches closer to its release date, audiences want to hear more.

It’s been rumored that a Resident Evil reboot movie is in the works with Zach Cregger, and it could have some serious video game tie-in potential.

Zach Cregger Talks About His Resident Evil Movie And What Fans Can Expect

In an interview with SFX Magazine (via Bloody Disgusting), Zach Cregger explained that his Resident Evil movie won’t be exactly like the games. He said he loves the franchise and has played Resident Evil 4 countless times. He said:

“I’m definitely not trying to be completely obedient to the lore of the games. I’m trying to tell a story that just feels authentic to the experience you get when you play the games.”

The filmmaker continued that given the franchise’s huge fanbase, he is aware that people will have opinions about his adaptation, and he knows that they’ll share them on the Internet. He said:

“So all I want to do is just make a really good movie and tell a story that’s compelling. I know that I’m gonna be happy with the movie, and hopefully other people will, too. I will also say, I’ve never seen a movie like it.”

Several fans reacted to Cregger’s words on Reddit and while some shared their excitement for Cregger’s movie, others aren’t so sure that straying far from the games is a good idea. Reboots can either tell the same exact story or introduce new elements, and it sounds like the filmmaker decided on the latter approach. The first through the sixth Resident Evil movie tell the story of Alice (Milla Jovovich), a new character. Several characters appear in the movies but aren’t in the games, and it will be interesting to see how Cregger approaches this. While the actress said she could be interested in coming back to the franchise, she isn’t in the upcoming film.

Although the games are beloved, the Resident Evil film franchise wasn’t as well-received, and many have low Rotten Tomatoes ratings. The first film has 36% and the most recent one, Welcome to Raccoon City, only has 30%. Since Cregger’s Barbarian was a dark, stylish, and compelling horror movie, many hope that his creative takes on the horror genre will make for a great adaptation.

Cregger’s Resident Evil will arrive in theaters on September 18th, 2026. At this time, the cast is unknown, although there are reports that Austin Abrams will play the main role. Cregger co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten, who wrote several movies in the John Wick franchise including 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Paranbellum, John Wick: Chapter 4, and Ballerina, which was released in June 2025.