Zach Cregger, director of Barbarian and the upcoming Weapons, is reportedly a huge Resident Evil fan, particularly Resident Evil 4.
However, director Zach Cregger has made it clear that his upcoming adaptation of Capcom’s legendary horror game series won’t be a direct retelling of any specific game.
Instead of closely following the storyline of past installments, he’s taking a more original approach, aiming to capture the spirit and tone of the franchise while telling a brand-new story within its universe.
It's really no different than what Marvel Studios does when adapting specific comic book storylines such as Civil War or Secret Invasion.
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."
Taking this approach, Cregger recognizes that some RE fans might be unhappy with this approach to the reboot, especially considering the fact that the previous Resident Evil film saga from Paul W. S. Anderson and Mila Jovovich strayed so far from the source material.
"I don't think I’m breaking any major rules, 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 just make a really good movie and tell a story that's compelling. I know that I'm gonna be happy with the movie, and hopefully other people will, too."
The Resident Evil movie reboot releases on September 18, 2026. Unless it gets delayed, expect production (and more casting) to ramp 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.