The new Resident Evil movie will deliver an entirely new story built around intense survival horror rather than a direct retelling of any specific game. Director Zach Cregger has teased that the film will include “really wild” sequences with “f**ked up and weird” imagery.
Cregger shared these details in a recent interview with Empire (via GamesRadar), where he also reflected on the challenge of recapturing the unique spark of earlier work while delivering something fresh for this Capcom adaptation. He expressed uncertainty about whether certain standout moments from his previous films could be repeated but assured that Resident Evil contains a handful of sequences that stand out as particularly extreme.
The director has previously noted that Resident Evil ranks as the most violent project he has ever made. He stressed the importance of leaning fully into a grotesque approach to honor the source material’s reputation for visceral body horror and relentless tension.
Cregger also discussed in the interview how received complete creative control over the film, including final-cut privileges that allowed him to shape the final version without studio interference. This level of autonomy is rare in major franchise adaptations and placed the finished cut firmly under his direction.
Discussing the production process, Cregger made clear that he operated without external constraints when he stated, “I was not interfered with. I didn’t have anyone putting any sort of limitations on me.” The absence of restrictions enabled him to pursue the specific tone and intensity he envisioned for the story from the outset.
The film follows a streamlined narrative centered on a single protagonist navigating danger. Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, a medical courier dispatched to a hospital in Raccoon City, setting the stage for a focused survival ordeal.
Cregger emphasized his priorities for the story when he explained, “This movie is about one dude’s journey on foot, fighting monsters. I don’t give a f**k about checking boxes.” He continued that his sole focus remained on crafting an entertaining experience, adding, “All I cared about was just telling a fun story. [One in which] we step on the gas at about eight minutes in and never take our foot off the floor.”
The Resident Evil movie is scheduled to release in theaters on September 18.
