2026’s Resident Evil Reboot’s Major Franchise Changes Confirmed (& Fans Should Actually Be Happy)

by

Since 1996, the Resident Evil franchise has been a major force in horror gaming, consistently selling millions of copies. However, adapting the games into movies has been hit or miss. The long-running film series, while financially successful, often strayed too far from the original games’ stories, disappointing many longtime fans with its focus on action over narrative. The 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, tried to cram too much of the game’s complex backstory into one movie and also changed well-known characters. Even the recent Netflix series, which attempted a new story within the game’s universe, received criticism for being unfocused.

A new Resident Evil movie is currently being filmed with Zach Cregger – known for directing Barbarian and Weapons – at the helm. This film won’t be a direct remake of any specific game, but rather a completely new story set within the Resident Evil universe. It won’t feature familiar characters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine. Oliver Berben, CEO of Constantin Film, recently told Deadline that the movie is intentionally different from the games, and fans shouldn’t expect a close adaptation. He explained that Zach Cregger is bringing his own unique vision to the project, making it quite distinct from what’s come before.

Giving Zach Cregger Creative Freedom to Tackle Resident Evil Is the Right Move

Choosing Zach Cregger to direct a major franchise like Resident Evil is a smart move, recognizing his quick success in the horror genre. He first gained attention with Barbarian, a film praised for its ability to surprise and scare audiences with its clever twists and suspense. He built on that success with Weapons, which was even more critically and commercially successful, earning $270 million on a $38 million budget. This established Cregger as a director who truly understands how to create fear. By giving him creative freedom, the studio is departing from the typical, often bland, approach of relying on many voices to make a blockbuster film.

Giving the creators freedom to be original helps the new Resident Evil series avoid the mistakes of past adaptations. By crafting a fresh story that reimagines the series’ beginnings, the show can capture the tense, resource-limited atmosphere of the games without needing to include every character fans already know. This strategy is similar to what worked for Prime Video’s Fallout, which succeeded by building upon the game’s world instead of simply repeating the existing story.

Resident Evil is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 18th.

Do you think an original story is the best way to save the Resident Evil movie franchise?

https://comicbook.com/movies/list/every-video-game-movie-releasing-in-2026-ranked-by-our-anticipation/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-16 17:40