Sony’s Resident Evil film reboot from Barbarian director Zach Cregger is shambling towards a release in September next year, promising a return to the gritty, claustrophobic roots of the original 1996 video game.
No stranger to the live-action film adaptation landscape, the Resident Evil franchise has seen its fair share of big-screen success with the six Milla Jovovich-led action flicks spanning 2002 to 2017, as well as the 2021 reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which together grossed over US$310 million at the worldwide box office to date. Despite this, a common critic has always been that the films leaned too much towards a campy, action-focused vibe, leaving fans wanting for a gritty, more atmospheric adaptation that would feel true to the game franchise’s earlier days.
Cregger’s involvement then, marks an encouraging sign for the project, as during an interview with Deadline, the director expressed his love for Capcom’s classic survival horror franchise. “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,” he explained, a sentiment shared by producer Constantin Film’s Robert Kulzer, who agreed that “the world of Resident Evil experienced through Zach’s vision [was] an irresistible feat”.
According to Cregger, the film will “take the title to its horror roots and be more faithful to the initial games”, hinting that it might adapt the Spencer Mansion incident from 1996’s Resident Evil in some form, making appearances by Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker and Barry Burton seem likely. Having a more grounded setting makes a lot of sense too, considering he previously tackled a similar claustrophobic vibe with his 2022 horror hit Barbarian.
Let’s hope that the upcoming film doesn’t lean too much into the darker, no-nonsense tone though, as the original games were also well-known for their tongue-in-cheek humour due to literal translations from its Japanese version, giving rise to numerous memes over the years including the now iconic “Jill Sandwich”. For now, with both Cregger and Constantin Film at the helm, the film looks set to offer a tonal balance that can appeal to the fanbases of both the games and films, although more details on the film are sure to come over the next few months.
The Resident Evil reboot is currently set for release on 18 September 2026.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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