Zach Cregger: You’ve “Never Seen a Movie Like ‘Resident Evil'”

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May 3, 2026

If you spend even five minutes scrolling through social media, you’ll see just how divisive the new Resident Evil movie has become before audiences have even seen a full trailer. Some fans are genuinely angry over the direction filmmaker Zach Cregger is taking with the franchise, especially after comments suggesting the film won’t be directly adapting the games in the way many had hoped.

And honestly? I get it.

As somebody who loves faithful adaptations myself, I understand the frustration of wanting to see certain characters, moments, and mythology finally brought to life in a way that feels meaningful to the source material. Fans have spent decades imagining what a truly definitive Resident Evil movie could look like, and when a new filmmaker comes in and pivots away from expectations, disappointment is inevitable.

At the same time, I also come from a place where I ultimately just want to see a good movie.

That’s where this entire conversation around fandom starts to get interesting. Just because Cregger isn’t making the exact Resident Evil movie some fans wanted does not mean he isn’t a fan himself. And it certainly doesn’t mean the games didn’t inspire his adaptation. In fact, if a filmmaker genuinely loves Resident Evil and wants to create their own story within that universe, there’s an argument to be made that fans should at least judge the film on its own merits before writing it off because a certain character doesn’t appear or a specific Umbrella reference isn’t front and center.

Cregger has repeatedly made it clear that his goal isn’t to retell the games beat-for-beat, but rather to capture the feeling of playing them. In previous interviews, he explained to The Playlist, “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.”

He’s also addressed why iconic characters like Leon Kennedy aren’t the focus this time around, saying, “I’m not going to tell Leon’s story, because Leon’s story is told in the games.”

There’s definitely been a bit of damage control happening in recent interviews, especially after earlier comments led some fans to believe the movie had “little to do” with the franchise itself. But the more Cregger talks about the project, the clearer it becomes that he’s less interested in recreating existing cutscenes and more focused on translating the tension, dread, and survival-horror atmosphere that made the games resonate in the first place.

Whether fans embrace that approach or reject it entirely remains to be seen. But one thing is obvious: this version of Resident Evil is coming from someone who genuinely loves the franchise, even if his interpretation doesn’t line up with everybody’s personal wishlist.

In a new interview with Screen Rant, Cregger opened up a little more about the structure of the film and his desire to do something genuinely strange with Resident Evil, much in the same way he approached both Barbarian and Weapons. If you’ve seen his previous work, you already know that Cregger gravitates toward stories that are structurally unpredictable, often shifting perspective, tone, or narrative direction in ways that completely dismantle the traditional Hollywood formula.

Personally, that unpredictability is exactly why I love his movies. You never really know where they’re going, and that sense of instability creates tension in a way most studio horror films rarely even attempt anymore. It’s also part of what has always made my V/H/S franchise so effective. There’s a chaotic, anything-can-happen energy to those films that keeps audiences constantly off balance.

Now it sounds like Cregger wants to bring some of that same “weird” energy into Resident Evil, pushing the franchise into territory fans haven’t seen before rather than simply recreating familiar moments from the games. And honestly, that should be exciting.

“I think it’s a chance for me to do another weird movie; it’s structurally unique,” Cregger told ScreenRant when asked what’s so appealing about taking on Resident Evil. “I’ve never seen a movie like what we’re gonna do with Resident Evil.”

“It will be weird,” he adds. “And I’ve never seen the movies, so maybe I’m wrong, and the other movies do this, but I don’t think so. It’s more like I’m obsessed with the game and wanted to give the experience I have with playing these games to the big screen. That’s the goal, and I think we’re gonna do that.”

Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival, as one fateful, horrifying night collapses into chaos around him.

It hits theaters September 18.

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