The new Resident Evil film will be dynamic, bloody, and closer to Capcom’s games than previous adaptations

An IGN journalist visited the set of the Resident Evil film adaptation, where they spoke with director Zach Cregger and other members of the crew. Here are the key takeaways from the outlet’s report.

Cregger once again said that the film will not retell the story of Capcom’s games. Instead, it will offer an original story that uses all the key elements of the universe — Raccoon City, the T-virus, sewers, Umbrella laboratories, and the atmosphere of classic survival horror.

According to Cregger, he has been a fan of the series for a long time — ever since the second game — but his greatest love is Resident Evil 4: “When the remake of the fourth game came out a couple of years ago, I fell in love all over again. I grab the infinite rocket launcher and do a couple of runs. It calms me down.”

The film will try to capture the atmosphere of the franchise’s early games in particular. The protagonist’s journey will begin in a more rural area in the spirit of Resident Evil 4, and then bring him closer to classic Raccoon City, with streets, sewers, and scientific facilities reminiscent of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3. However, the main character will not be a new Leon S. Kennedy or Chris Redfield: the director describes him as a “completely unfortunate everyman” who does not know how to handle weapons, is not ready for what is happening, and is simply trying to survive.

Cregger also emphasized that he tried to preserve the structure of the Resident Evil games in the film: moving from point A to point B, scarce resources, conserving ammo, and a gradually escalating threat. Even the film’s visual style follows the game source material: a significant portion of the movie was shot with a wide-angle lens over the protagonist’s shoulder, so the viewer feels almost like a player peeking around corners together with the character.

Some of the monsters in the film will be taken from the games, while others will be original. Cregger aimed for realism: the creature designs are based on how a person could theoretically change under the influence of the T-virus. So there will be no kitschy elements like Mr. X in a hat and coat in the film. At the same time, that does not mean the movie will be small-scale or grounded: the creators promise several large-scale bloody scenes.

The new Resident Evil will be released on September 18, 2026. The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser, while Cregger wrote the screenplay together with Shay Hatten. The film’s first teaser was recently released.

What do you expect from the Resident Evil adaptation? Share your thoughts in the comments!