Resident Evil is heading back to the big screen this fall. Unconnected to the previous feature film adaptations, the new movie hails from revered director Zach Cregger (Weapons). Producer Roy Lee has now offered a new tease for the upcoming film, confirming that it will boast “nonstop action” and an “original story” inspired by the video games.
“It’s like a roller coaster ride of nonstop action, of just showing a point of view of a character and an original story in the world of Raccoon City, where it’s like the experience of watching the movie is similar to the experience you would get playing the game, is what Zach is trying to do,” Lee told Geek Tyrant.
The original series of films from Paul W.S. Anderson were loosely inspired by the video games. They featured some familiar fan favorites in the various installments, but largely focused on Alice (Milla Jovovich), an original character, and prioritized action over horror. Johannes Roberts’ standalone adaptation, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, was horror-centric more faithful in comparison to the games, boasting several legacy characters from the original two titles.
It’s being teased that Cregger’s version will be the best of both worlds. Cregger’s acclaimed work in the horror genre certainly helped land him the job of helming the new Resident Evil, but it’s clear he’s not leaving behind the intense action that’s been put on display in some of the later games. Lee shared how a big budget was provided in order to bring Cregger’s vision to life in a way that fans haven’t yet seen.
“He’s definitely spent a lot of time prepping various shots that will impress the audience in ways they’ve not seen things before,” Lee said. “If you think about the progression of Zach’s movies, it went from a $4 million movie to a $38 million movie to now like an $80 plus million dollar movie, and each time the money’s going on screen.”
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According to reports, Cregger’s Resident Evil will follow a courier (Austin Abrams) delivering a package to a Raccoon City hospital in the midst of a T-Virus outbreak. To survive, he’ll have to battle the living dead along with other mutated creatures that may be familiar to fans of the games.
The new Resident Evil will be released on Sept. 18, 2026.
