With the upcoming reboot of the “Resident Evil” film series, director Zach Cregger breaks with a number of traditions and also pursues a rather unusual vision, which he now explained in more detail in a recent interview.
The film adaptations of „Resident Evil“ have always had a difficult time: Paul WS Anderson’s works were great financial successes at the box office, but they were anything but well received by fans of the original. A few years ago, the attempted restart with “Welcome to Raccoon City” failed miserably.
Now Zach Cregger is making a new attempt – and hope is huge. After all, he is currently considered to be the hottest horror director in Hollywood. But already the first trailer The community was divided about the new “Resident Evil” film.
No wonder: Cregger is pursuing anything but a typical vision, as he himself explained. Rather, his goal is to capture the essence of Capcom games in a completely new way.
A dream project of the director: “Accidentally a Resident Evil film”
The first peculiarity: While many directors are bought by large film studios for established brands, with “Resident Evil” it was exactly the opposite. After his horror successes “Barbarian” and “Weapons – The Hour of Disappearance,” Cregger was open to Hollywood – but he really wanted to immerse himself in the world of Capcom’s cult series.
“They were kind enough to listen to me and just let me do it. It’s really a Zach Cregger movie, which also happens to be a Resident Evil movie,” the director explained in a recent interview with the magazine Empire.
And since Cregger himself is an avowed fan of the original, he is not interested in simply retelling a well-known story from the games. “I won’t tell Leon’s story because Leon’s story is already being told in the games,” he made clear elsewhere. Rather, it’s about conveying the feeling you go through when playing the series – the constant tension and helplessness.
The main character: An “idiot” instead of an action hero
In order to bring this feeling perfectly to the screen, Cregger consciously breaks with the cliché of the invincible action star. The main character Bryan, played by Austin Abrams (“Euphoria”), is not a STARS agent, but a simple medical courier.
Cregger chose a bizarre but apt comparison: “The concept here is that we’re following an idiot. Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical gaming character. He has no combat experience and is completely incompetent when it comes to survival.”
“Bryan is basically an everyman who just happens to be thrust into this sort of holy mission that takes him right into the epicenter of it all. It’s a bit like Frodo going to Mordor,” the director continued.
The pacing: A single, gigantic gauntlet – like in the games
Anyone who knows Cregger’s previous works also knows that he is a master of unexpected twists and changes in perspective. But for “Resident Evil” he throws this structure overboard. Instead, fans can expect a straightforward, relentless horror roller coaster ride that is based on the level design of the games.
Cregger explained: “It feels like one giant sequence. After about five minutes, chaos breaks out, and it stays that way basically until the end. What I love about the games is that you move from set piece to set piece. Each location offers a unique challenge. So I borrow that rhythm directly from the games: you’re basically running the gauntlet.”
It won’t be long before fans can judge Cregger’s vision for themselves: “Resident Evil” will be released in cinemas here on September 17, 2026.
Links to Amazon, Media Markt, Saturn and some other retailers are usually affiliate links. When you make a purchase, we receive a small commission with which we can finance the free-to-use site. You have no disadvantages.