Resident Evil Reboot Director Reveals Trailer Easter Egg

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The first trailer for Zach Cregger’s new movie is out, giving fans a first look at the film based on the well-known video game series. Though the movie features a brand new story and characters, the trailer includes a hidden nod to the original games for fans to spot.

The Easter egg appears very briefly in the trailer, so most viewers missed it. While analyzing the trailer for IGN, director Cregger revealed a quick visual reference: a potted herb plant visible in the upper left corner of the screen when Austin Abrams’ character is on the phone. This plant is a nod to the health-restoring green herbs found in video games, specifically resembling those from the popular game Resident Evil 4.

Spot Resident Evil 4’s Green Herb in the New Trailer

Cregger pointed out a plant positioned to the left of the screen, just over the subject’s right shoulder, and explained it was visible in the original film with a wider shot. He specifically recreated elements from the game Resident Evil 4, including the plant and a bucket. You can see the bucket, with its distinctive horizontal copper stripes, at the very end of the shot, and the plant is an exact match to the one in the game.

The director explained that while the film is mostly based on Resident Evil 2, they included elements from Resident Evil 4 – their personal favorite – and hid a few other references to that game throughout the movie for fans to find.

Cregger highlighted that the film features scenes of Bryan scavenging for supplies – a classic element of Resident Evil games for the last three decades. This detail was intentionally included as a nod to the source material. While the movie doesn’t directly retell the story of any specific game, Cregger emphasized that a lot of effort went into capturing the feel of Resident Evil.

The Movie Tells an Original Story Inspired by Resident Evil Games

A key part of the Resident Evil experience is the constant need to find health and ammo,” Cregger explained. “That’s what you see in these scenes where the character searches drawers – he’s found a shotgun but needs shells, so he’s scavenging for them. It wouldn’t feel like a true tribute to the games without that element of searching for essential supplies.

I was really excited to hear Cregger talk about how the movie’s designed! He said the story will move our main character through a bunch of different creepy places, kind of like how Resident Evil 4 does. That’s great because it won’t be stuck in just one location – the first game mostly took place inside a big, spooky mansion that was also a secret lab, and they wanted to avoid that. But don’t worry, there will still be those classic moments where you’re frantically searching for a key to unlock a door and keep going – a fun little nod to the games we all love!

Don’t Expect a 100% Faithful Adaptation

I was really excited to hear the director talk about the movie’s timeline! It takes place on the very first day the outbreak hits Raccoon City. Now, hardcore fans will remember from Resident Evil 2 and 3 that happened in late September 1998, but the trailer actually shows snow on the ground, which is a bit of a difference. Honestly, I think we should all go in expecting something inspired by the games, not a perfect copy. They’re clearly aiming for that same scary, desperate feeling as the original survival horror games, and that’s what I’m most looking forward to!

Resident Evil hits movie theaters on Sept. 18, 2026.

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2026-05-02 02:14