Zach Cregger unveiled the final trailer for his new Resident Evil movie, which follows an original story set near the timeline of Resident Evil 2. The film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier and the film’s new protagonist, navigating a survival horror scenario on the outskirts of Raccoon City’s outbreak [1, 2, 3, 4].
Cregger described the film’s approach as capturing the gameplay experience rather than directly adapting the game's complex lore. "The journey you'll have as a viewer... is going to be similar to the journey you have as a player," he said, noting the film focuses on a single protagonist descending "deeper and deeper into Hell" [1]. The story runs alongside the main games without breaking their universe, acting as an alternate storyline [5].
The movie incorporates several Easter eggs familiar to fans, including the iconic typewriter save mechanic, shotgun shells, green herbs, and drawer searches for ammunition. It also updates the setting with modern technology like smartphones, moving away from the original 1998 game era [1, 2, 4].
Austin Abrams nearly suffered serious injury during filming after a stunt involving 150-pound explosives went wrong. Director Cregger explained that one of the body-sized explosive charges detonated inches from Abrams, saying, "One triggered too early and it missed him by inches. And these things are all like 150 pounds. It would’ve killed him" [6].
The film blends horror with dark humor, and some have compared its tone to the Evil Dead movies [5]. It was first revealed in April with a teaser trailer and more footage was shown to select fans at July’s San Diego Comic-Con [1, 7, 5].
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie is scheduled for theatrical release on September 18, 2026 [3, 5, 4].
