After sharpening his directorial edge with horror pic Weapons, director Zach Cregger is embarking on his next storytelling endeavour in the genre: a new Resident Evil film. Following the previously announced casting of Austin Abrams (Euphoria) as the protagonist, another star has been confirmed for the project.
Deadline reports that Paul Walter Hauser, fresh off Naked Gun and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, will step into a currently undisclosed role. The big-screen adaptation of Capcom’s beloved survival horror game is directed by Cregger, who co-wrote the script with Shay Hatten.
“I feel way too competitive and way too hungry to eat garnish and pretend it’s a meal,” the actor said previously on his tendency to be picky about his projects (via Hollywood Reporter). “I would rather hold out for the right thing. On the day, I’m just going to be all hungry, and then I’m going to look stupid, and then I’m going to feel awkward.”
Constantin Film is producing and co-financing the reboot, which won’t be “completely obedient to the game”. Instead, it will feature an original story that aligns with the overarching lore, but is outside of the characters of the games.”
“It’s just a different story,” he added, “I’m not going to tell Leon’s story, because Leon’s story is told in the games. [Fans] already have that,” Cregger explained.
The upcoming Resident Evil reboot isn’t the first theatrical treatment of the video game series. Sony’s film franchise starring Milla Jovovich kicked off in 2002 and has since earned over US$1.2 billion at the global box office.
Cregger’s adaptation hits the silver screen on 18 September 2026.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
