The Resident Evil reboot film will resemble one of the biggest fantasy franchises ever.
The Resident Evil franchise, known as Biohazard in Japan, is Capcom’s long-running survival horror video game series. Gamers must face a deadly viral outbreak and fight genetically engineered monsters. Throughout the games, players confront Umbrella Corporation and other organizations responsible for creating dangerous weapons while attempting to stop the spread of the virus.
The upcoming Resident Evil reboot is taking a very different approach from previous live-action adaptations, with iconic horror director Zach Cregger revealing that the film will feature completely original characters and storylines. He has also explained how the movie’s protagonist will not be an experienced agent or fighter, but just a normal guy who has no idea what he’s doing. In fact, Cregger said that the man could barely use a gun.
In an interview with Empire, the director compared the main character, Bryan, who is portrayed by Austin Abrams, to an iconic hobbit who was similarly inexperienced when he began his journey. Cregger explained how watching Bryan navigate the virus outbreak and the monsters in the world of Resident Evil would be like watching Frodo (Elijah Wood) at the beginning of his journey to Mordor in the classic Lord of the Rings films.
Rather than following a highly trained person who is capable of fighting, the new movie will see an average man who is forced into a deadly situation that he is not equipped for. The director went as far as to actually call the main character an “idiot” and explained how he was borderline incompetent in this specific scenario.
The concept here is that we’re following an idiot. Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival. Bryan is very much an everyman who happens to be burdened with this kind of sacred mission that’s going to take him into the heart of everything. It’s kind of like Frodo going into Mordor.”
Cregger also stated that his vision for his Resident Evil reboot focuses less on flashy elements of a traditional blockbuster film and more on capturing the tension and escalating dread that gamers experience while playing the Resident Evil games. While the franchise has often featured highly trained characters such as Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and Chris Redfield, the movie goes in the exact opposite direction, which could raise the stakes even more.
Cregger’s approach to Resident Evil is very different from several previous film and TV adaptations, many of which leaned heavily on massive action sequences and powerful characters. By comparison, the upcoming movie appears to be much more subdued (but no less terrifying), prioritizing suspense and limited resources, elements that helped establish the Capcom games as one of the best horror video game franchises ever.
Cregger’s Resident Evil will premiere in theaters on September 18, 2026.
- Release Date
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September 18, 2026
- Director
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Zach Cregger
- Writers
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Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger
