The bidding war for rights to the Resident Evil movie franchise has come to an end with Sony emerging victorious. The lucrative film franchise -- an adaptation of the beloved action horror video game series -- was up for auction earlier this year with at least four major studios bidding, including Warner Bros. and Netflix.
In the end, Sony won and wasted no time setting a theatrical release date of September 18, 2026. Barbarian and Weapon filmmaker Zach Cregger is attached to direct.
The Resident Evil movie franchise has been a moneymaker at the box office, despite most of the movies garnering overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and general audiences. The movie franchise began with 2002's Resident Evil, which was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starred Milla Jovovich as Alice, a character created specifically for the movies.
Since then, there have been a total of six movies -- all starring Jovovich -- plus one origin film, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which was released in 2021 and served as a reboot. The reboot, which was the first live-action movie in the series not to star Milla Jovovich, followed a group of survivors during a zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. It received mixed reviews while grossing $42 million worldwide, a modest financial success for the budget-friendly movie.
Although support for the Resident Evil franchise has seemingly waned over the years, the involvement of Cregger has caused a jolt of excitement among studios. Cregger made a name for himself in the horror genre thanks to his 2022 film Barbarian, which scored an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. "Smart, darkly humorous, and above all scary, Barbarian offers a chilling and consistently unpredictable thrill ride for horror fans," the critics consensus reads.
The success of Barbarian led to a bidding war for Weapons, which was won by Warner Bros. Pictures. The upcoming film, which follows a small community after a group of kids mysteriously disappear overnight, is scheduled hit theaters on January 16, 2026.
Resident Evil will undoubtedly mark Cregger's biggest project to date, especially with the budget Sony will likely allow for. Constantin Fil, which has held the screen rights to the Resident Evil franchise since the late 1990s, will produce alongside PlayStation Productions.
“I’ve been a rabid fan of these games for decades, and to be able to bring this amazing title to life is a true honor,” Cregger told Deadline.
“The world of Resident Evil experienced through Zach’s vision is an irresistible feat,” added Constantin's Robert Kulzer, who will also produce with Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee (Barbarian, Minecraft) and Miri Yoon (Woman of the Hour, Weapons).
While inspired by the Resident Evil video games, the movie franchise has often marched by the beat of its old drum. The movies definitely offer plenty of easter eggs and fan service, but mostly feature original storylines and characters, such as Alice. With Cregger at the helm, it will be interesting to see how closely he stays to the source material.