Zach Cregger Given Full Creative Freedom for RESIDENT EVIL Movie and Says “We Are Creating Something New”
The next chapter of Resident Evil on the big screen is about to get a serious shake-up. Horror filmmaker Zach Cregger, the twisted mind behind Barbarian and Weapons, is stepping into the infected world of Capcom’s iconic franchise.
And this time, the studio isn’t playing it safe. Cregger is being handed full creative control to reimagine the property from the ground up.
Constantin Film, the company that has guided the live-action Resident Evil movies and TV adaptations for years, is backing Cregger’s vision. Instead of revisiting familiar characters and storylines, CEO Oliver Berben wants something different.
Cregger is being given “the carte blanche to do whatever he wanted to do with that IP,” according to Deadline.
Berben explained the shift in direction, saying:
“With Resident Evil, we have had an incredible journey with one of the most successful international IPs of more than a billion dollars in box office for many years, and now we are creating something new, not just a new story idea, but to allow a new generation to take the IP into their own hands and form something different.”
That’s a big swing for a franchise that has already earned over a billion dollars worldwide. But it lines up perfectly with what Cregger has been hinting at for months.
Earlier this year, he described his version of Resident Evil as a “comedic” and “crazy” origin story. That should tell fans this won’t be another Umbrella Corporation retread. It sounds like he’s digging into the mythology in a way that feels personal and unexpected.
And if you’re hoping to see franchise favorites like Wesker or Leon pop up, you might want to brace yourself. Reports suggest this story won’t lean on legacy characters.
Cregger made that crystal clear in a recent interview:
"It's an entirely original story. When you watch it, you'll be like, 'This is very Zach.' It's just [that] it takes place in the Resident Evil world. I don't think fans of the games are gonna be bummed."
Cregger is a fan of the games. He understands the tone, the tension, and the weirdness that make Resident Evil what it is. Interestingly, he’s also admitted he’s never seen any of the previous live-action Resident Evil movies. So whatever he’s cooking up won’t be influenced by that era of the franchise, which has always divided fans.
This new film stars Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, and Zach Cherry, and it’s set to hit theaters on September 18. With Cregger steering the ship and total creative freedom in his pocket, this could be the wild, off-kilter horror reinvention the franchise has needed.
If he really is building something that feels unmistakably “very Zach,” we’re probably in for something strange, funny, unsettling, and completely its own thing.