For a lot of the final twenty years, the Resident Evil films have been outlined by the six movies directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, with Milla Jovovich within the main function as Alice. These films remodeled $1 billion worldwide. Nevertheless, the 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon Metropolis, solely earned $42 million worldwide.
Barbarian and Weapons director Zach Cregger has been given the reins for a brand-new Resident Evil film. After co-founding the comedy troupe The Whitest Children U’ Know and starring in sitcoms, Cregger has emerged as one of the profitable horror administrators of this era. His involvement with this challenge sparked a bidding struggle, which was finally received by Sony Photos, the studio that launched the earlier seven movies within the franchise.
Lots of the particulars about Cregger’s Resident Evil film stay underneath wraps for now. However GameSpot has put collectively a information to the whole lot we all know in regards to the Resident Evil reboot to date.
Who’s starring in Resident Evil?
Austin Abrams is at the moment the one (most likely) confirmed forged member for the brand new movie. Abrams not too long ago labored with Cregger on Weapons, and he has some expertise with zombies from his time on The Strolling Useless. He’s additionally identified for his function as Ethan Daley in HBO’s Euphoria.
Will established Resident Evil heroes seem within the movie?
Cregger has indicated that he isn’t planning to make use of any of the RE heroes in main roles.
“I am telling a narrative that could be a love letter to the video games and follows the principles of the video games,” defined Cregger. “It’s obedient to the lore of the video games; it is only a completely different story. I am not going to inform Leon’s story, as a result of Leon’s story is advised within the video games. [Fans] have already got that.”
“[Resident Evil is] an unique screenplay,” added Cregger in a separate interview. “It is a bizarre story. I wrote it and I really like the story. It has nothing to do with any of the opposite Resident Evil films. If I do my job, it can really feel contemporary and edgy and bizarre.”
Will the tone of Resident Evil observe the instance of the earlier films?
In accordance with Cregger, he hasn’t seen any of the Resident Evil films. As an alternative of following their instance, he intends to recreate the tone of dread from the video games.
“I have never seen the [earlier Resident Evil] films, however they do not appear to vow that feeling [of dread],” mentioned Cregger. “So I needed to jot down a narrative that might simply actually lean into that. Honor the games–be true to the lore of what is going on on. However I am not telling any of the tales of the video games. It is a separate story that simply occurs to exist in that territory.”
“If there are folks on the market who’re rabid followers of the film franchise, they’re most likely not likely ready for what I’m going to be doing. However I believe followers of the video games are going to be stoked,” he mentioned.
In an interview with Double Toasted, Cregger mentioned his Resident Evil film will probably be “true to the expertise” of the video video games, and possibly “lives on this planet” of Resident Evil 2 and three, however that it adheres extra to the tone of Resident Evil 4. The sport just isn’t a direct adaptation of any Resident Evil sport, nonetheless.
Cregger mentioned the video video games, too, haven’t got a set lore and are not inflexible with timelines or settings. “I do not assume I’m taking any extra liberties with this [movie] than the sport franchise does. I believe I’m coloring throughout the traces,” he mentioned.
“I’ve by no means seen a film prefer it,” he added. “I’m past excited making this.”
The director added that his sense of tone and his normal filmmaking sensibilities honed with Barbarian and Weapons will come by way of in Resident Evil, albeit on a much bigger scale and with a much bigger funds.
“It takes place on this planet of the video games, however most significantly, the journey you will have as a viewer watching this film goes to be much like the journey you might have as a participant whenever you play these video games. What which means is it follows one protagonist from level A to level B as they descend deeper and deeper and deeper into hell,” he mentioned. “As somebody who has performed I do not know what number of 1000’s and 1000’s of hours of Resident Evil, I simply really feel like I understand how that pacing can go, and it is inherently cinematic. I really feel like there’s a nice film that may reside inside this world and inside that form of pacing. I’m actually, actually pumped in regards to the story that we get to inform right here.”
Lastly, Cregger confirmed the taking pictures schedule for Resident Evil, saying cameras are on account of start rolling this October in Prague and proceed by way of the tip of January 2026. Why Prague? Cregger cited town’s beneficiant tax rebates and different components. “It is the appropriate place,” he mentioned.
When will the brand new Resident Evil film be launched?
Resident Evil will hit theaters on September 18, 2026, just some months after the sport franchise celebrates its thirtieth anniversary.
