Zach Cregger Knows RESIDENT EVIL Fans Might "Crucify" Him, but He’s Making the Movie Anyway
There’s a new Resident Evil movie on the way, and this one already sounds like it’s going to stir up some serious conversation among fans.
Director Zach Cregger, who previously helmed the wild horror hits Barbarian and Weapons, is stepping into the world of Capcom’s iconic survival horror franchise. He’s also fully aware that messing with something this beloved comes with risks… and he’s expecting some backlash.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Cregger opened up about his approach to Resident Evil, and it’s clear he’s not interested in playing it safe. His take leans more into capturing the feeling of the games rather than recreating them beat-for-beat.
“I love the idea of being pitted against a world that is hellbent on annihilating you,” he explained. “It just feels fun and I haven't seen a movie that offers that sort of experience.”
That mindset tells us this isn’t going to be a straightforward adaptation. Cregger is chasing the tension and chaos that players feel when navigating the games, not just the surface-level lore. While that sounds exciting, he knows it could put him directly in the crosshairs of longtime fans.
He didn’t dodge that reality either. “No matter what I do, people are going to come for me online,” he joked.
And he’s probably right. The Resident Evil fanbase has strong opinions, especially when it comes to staying faithful to the games’ storylines and characters.
Cregger has already acknowledged that his movie won’t be “not completely obedient” to its Capcom roots, a comment he made last year. At the same time, he reassured fans that he’s not throwing everything out the window, promising the film won’t break “any major rules.”
Still, he’s bracing for impact. He even admitted he expects some of the more hardcore crowd to “crucify” him if the film strays too far from established lore.
So what exactly is this new story about? Instead of retelling the familiar mansion or Raccoon City police station arcs, the film follows a medical courier sent into Raccoon City to deliver a package to a remote hospital.
Naturally, things go sideways fast, and he finds himself caught in the middle of a viral outbreak. It’s a fresh angle that still taps into the franchise’s core DNA of isolation, infection, and survival.
Cregger previously said: There are moments in every Resident Evil game where you find yourself standing in the mouth of a dark passageway. One shot in the gun is left. You know that something horrible is waiting for you in that darkness, that awful moment where you have to will yourself.
“That’s something that every Resident Evil game has perfected and has kept me and millions of other players returning to the series for decades. My movie will be built in the spirit of those games and follows one central protagonist from point A to point B, as they descend deeper into hell.”
The cast includes Austin Abrams, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser, which already makes for an interesting mix of talent. The script comes from Cregger and Shay Hatten, whose past work includes action-heavy projects, suggesting this film could lean into both horror and intensity.
At the end of the day, adapting Resident Evil has always been a tricky game to play. Fans want authenticity, but they also want something that feels worth watching. Cregger seems to be walking that tightrope, aiming to deliver an experience that captures what it feels like to play the games rather than just retelling them scene for scene.
Whether fans embrace that vision or tear it apart remains to be seen. We’ll find out when Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18, 2026.