Director Zach Cregger has opened up about his vision for the upcoming Resident Evil film, offering fresh details during an interview with Double Toasted on YouTube. The project, which begins filming in October 2025, is set for release on September 18, 2026, and represents the second attempt at rebooting the live-action franchise after 2021’s Welcome to Raccoon City.
Cregger emphasized that his adaptation will stay true to the tone and pacing of the games rather than the previous film series. “All I can say is that it is true to the experience of the games,” he explained. “It follows one protagonist from point A to point B as they just descend deeper and deeper and deeper into hell. I just feel like I know how that pacing can go and it’s inherently cinematic.” He added that while some fans had hoped his next project would be wholly original, he believes this film will still feel like his own creation, with a distinctive sensibility and tone.
A longtime fan of the franchise, Cregger admitted he has never seen any of the prior films, which he views as an advantage. “I imagine that if there are people out there that are just raid fans of the movie franchise, they’re probably not really prepared for what I’m going to be doing. But I think the people that are fans of the games are probably going to be stoked,” he said.
Discussing influences, Cregger noted that the project borrows elements from multiple entries in the series. “It probably lives more in the world of two and three, but I’d say it adheres more to the tone of four,” he explained. He described the franchise as “incredibly malleable,” pointing out how different games explore wildly different settings and moods, from Raccoon City to rural Spain. “I don’t think I’m taking any more liberties with this than the game franchise does at all,” he said.
The director confirmed that filming will take place in Prague, citing favorable production conditions and strong local resources. He also revealed the extent of his preparation, noting that he had storyboarded the entire film before official pre-production even began. “As soon as I was done with Weapons, probably before I was done with Weapons, I was storyboarding literally every frame of Resident Evil,” he said.
Cregger’s adaptation will differ from past films by focusing on a single protagonist navigating the horrors of Raccoon City, in contrast to the ensemble-driven approach of previous installments. With production scheduled to begin in mid-October and wrap by January 2026, the director expressed confidence that the finished film will deliver a fresh yet faithful take on Capcom’s iconic horror series.
