Zach Cregger, best known for Barbarian and the upcoming film Weapons, is a devoted fan of the Resident Evil franchise, especially Resident Evil 4.
Still, he has clarified that his upcoming film reboot of Capcom’s iconic horror series will not follow the plot of any one game.
Rather than retelling an existing story, Cregger plans to create something original that still captures the overall tone, atmosphere, and core themes of the games. His goal is to stay faithful to the spirit of the franchise while exploring new territory within its universe.
This approach is similar to how Marvel Studios adapts its comic book stories. Films like Captain America: Civil War and the Disney+ TV series Secret Invasion both borrow heavily from their comic book counterpart namesakes but rework them to fit a new cinematic vision.
Speaking to SFX Magazine, Cregger stated, "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."
He went on to say, "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."
Zach Cregger is fully aware that his creative direction for the Resident Evil reboot might not sit well with every fan, especially given how much the previous film series, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, veered away from the original games.
“I don’t think I’m breaking any major rules,” Cregger said, “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 make a really good movie and tell a story that’s compelling. I know I’m going to be proud of it, and hopefully others will be too.”
The new Resident Evil movie is scheduled to hit theaters on September 18, 2026. If the release date holds, production and additional casting announcements are expected to pick up soon.
Actor Austin Abrams is rumored to be the lead in the film, which is said to center on, "a hapless courier (Abrams) tasked with delivering a package to a remote hospital. He finds himself caught in the middle of an outbreak and must fight through hordes of mutated creatures to survive."
Additionally, it was also recently rumored that Anora's Mikey Madison has also been offered a part in the upcoming reboot. However, since her Academy Award win, it seems as if Madison has been attached to every upcoming project in Hollywood.
Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Army of the Dead) is co-writing alongside Cregger.