Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie won’t be completely obedient to the games

Zach Cregger, writer/director of Barbarian (watch it HERE) and the upcoming film Weapons, which is scheduled to reach theatres on August 8th, is set to direct a new Resident Evil movie for Sony, aiming for a September 18, 2026 theatrical release. Little is known about Cregger’s approach to the video game adaptation, but during a recent interview with SFX magazine, he did admit that his movie won’t be completely obedient to the games.

We’ve previously heard that Cregger is writing the screenplay with Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) and the story apparently harkens back to the original Capcom game’s horror roots. The story is rumored to center on a down-on-his-luck courier who’s tasked with delivering a package to a remote hospital. En route, he finds himself caught in the middle of a viral apocalypse and forced to fight hordes of mutated creatures. That hasn’t been confirmed, just like the rumors that the film could star Austin Abrams (Wolfs) and Mickey Madison (Anora) haven’t been confirmed.

Constantin Film is producing and co-financing the film. Constantin’s Robert Kulzer, Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Miri Yoon, and PlayStation Productions are also producing. Nicole Brown will be overseeing the project for Sony’s Columbia Pictures.

When he first got the job, Cregger provided the following statement: “I’ve been a rabid fan of these games for decades and to be able to bring this amazing title to life is a true honor.” Kulzer added, “The world of Resident Evil experienced through Zach’s vision is an irresistible feat.” And Sanford Panitch, President of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, had this to say: “Zach is one of the most talented, exciting new directors to come on the scene in many years. His brilliant approach in restarting and refreshing this legendary Sony franchise instantly makes this one of our most important releases in 2026.“

Speaking with SFX magazine, Cregger said, “I am a gigantic Resident Evil game fan. I’ve played them all. I don’t know how many times I’ve just looped [RE4] again and again. I just love it. 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. I don’t think I’m breaking any major rules, but I also recognize that no matter what I do, people are going to come for me online. 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.“

Paul W.S. Anderson built a franchise of six Resident Evil movies, running from Resident Evil in 2002 to Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2017. In 2021, the franchise was rebooted with director Johannes Roberts’ Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. A while back, we heard that a follow-up to Welcome to Raccoon City was in the works, as Raccoon HG Film Productions, the company that was behind that film, was said to be gearing up to go into production on a project called Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (based on the 2002 video game Resident Evil Zero) in Greater Sudbury, a city in Ontario, Canada. That project didn’t make it into production, though.

What do you think of what Cregger had to say about his take on Resident Evil? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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