Zach Cregger Says RESIDENT EVIL Will Be “Structurally Unique,” “Weird,” and You've "Never Seen a Movie Like it"

There’s a new Resident Evil movie on the way, and it’s not playing things safe. Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind the recent horror project Weapons, is stepping into the infected chaos of Resident Evil with a very different vision for the franchise.

Not just a little tweak here or there, but something that aims to reshape how this franchise works on screen. And based on what he’s saying, fans might want to brace for something unexpected.

In a resurfaced interview with ScreenRant, Cregger didn’t tiptoe around his approach. He flat-out said his version will be “structurally unique” and even “weird.” The filmmaker’s not trying to follow what came before.

"I've never seen the [existing adaptations], so maybe I'm wrong, and [they] do this, but I don't think so," he continues. "It's more like I'm obsessed with the game and wanted to give the experience I have with playing these games to the big screen. That's the goal, and I think we're gonna do that."

He isn’t interested in remixing past movies. He wants to translate the feeling of playing Resident Evil into a cinematic experience. If you’ve spent time creeping through those games, managing ammo, and anticipating what’s around the next corner, you probably get why that’s exciting.

Cregger’s last project, Weapons, experimented with storytelling from multiple perspectives, so it isn’t shocking that he’s leaning into a non-linear structure again.

That raises some interesting questions, though, especially when it comes to how the film handles progression. In the games, there’s a very clear escalation. You start small and build toward something bigger and louder. Translating that into a story that jumps around in time isn’t exactly simple.

Still, Cregger seems fully aware of that balancing act. He explained how deeply the game mechanics influence the movie’s rhythm.

"A lot of the references to the games, if you don't know them, they're just gonna go right over your head. The pacing of the games is very much in the movie.

“But if you don't know the games, that's not going to penetrate; you won't realize it... and the graduation of guns. You start with a pistol, you graduate to a shotgun, and then by the end, he's holding a machine gun. All the gamers are going to understand exactly what's happening, but if you've never played it just won't register."

That detail about weapon progression is interesting. It suggests the movie is speaking directly to longtime fans in subtle ways, while still functioning as a standalone experience. If you know, you know. If you don’t, it still works. At least, that’s the idea.

The film follows Austin Abrams as Bryan, a character navigating a world overrun with virus-infected threats. He’s joined by a cast that includes Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Kali Reis, which is a pretty solid lineup to anchor something this ambitious.

There’s still a bit of uncertainty about how all these ideas will come together, especially with a non-linear structure layered over a progression-based concept. But, I’m sure Cregger will be able to pull it off and deliver a great film.

Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18, and whether it fully lands or not, it at least sounds like it’s taking a swing. That’s exactly what this franchise needs right now.