The trailer for Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil movie recently dropped, and reactions are certainly mixed, to say the least. As a huge Resident Evil fan and a big fan of Zach Cregger’s work (Barbarian and Weapons were two of my top movies in the years they released), I am personally excited to see how the film turns out, and I think the vitriol I’ve seen online is a bit over-the-top and unnecessary.
You don’t have to venture far to find Resident Evil fans that are upset about Zach Cregger’s movie after seeing the first trailer. This, combined with a leaked Resident Evil movie script, has fans up in arms about Cregger’s vision for the film, bemoaning how we are not getting an “accurate” Resident Evil adaptation. Don’t get me wrong — I would love to see a Resident Evil movie that properly adapts the first game (how we still haven’t gotten this is beyond me) and other games in the franchise, but just because Cregger’s movie is going in a different direction, it doesn’t mean we need to dismiss it before we’ve even had the chance to watch it for ourselves.
All 7 Live-Action Resident Evil Movies Are Terrible, But There’s Hope on the Horizon
I rewatched all the live-action Resident Evil movies and didn’t have a great time, but the curse should be broken later this year.
Resident Evil is a Franchise About Reinvention
One of the biggest criticisms I’ve seen is how the movie isn’t Resident Evil enough. This particular shot in the trailer has Resident Evil fans complaining that it feels more like a supernatural horror movie. Maybe it is something supernatural. I haven’t read the leaked script, but this could be explained by being the arm of Nyx, a monster from Resident Evil: Outbreak File #2. And I’m certainly not the only person that has noticed this possible connection.
Whether it’s Nyx, a supernatural explanation, some other creature, or whatever else isn’t the point, though. Resident Evil is a franchise all about reinventing itself and trying new ideas, and that’s a big reason why it’s managed to stay relevant over the years. Resident Evil 1 was a classic-style survival-horror game with a focus on exploration, ammo conservation, and puzzle-solving. By the time we get to Resident Evil 4, it’s all about action, and then Resident Evil 7 is an intense first-person horror that has more in common with something like Texas Chain Saw Massacre than other RE games plot-wise, and honestly could have been a completely original IP if Capcom wanted it to be.
This article has SPOILERS for Resident Evil 7
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Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 7 are now considered two of the most beloved entries in the entire Resident Evil franchise, but it wasn’t always that way. I remember some fans outright rejecting RE4 for the changes it made to the established formula. Many were quick to dismiss it because it abandoned the long-running Umbrella storyline and went in a completely different direction. And the same goes for RE7. The switch to a first-person perspective was highly controversial and the fact that the game stars entirely new characters (minus the last few seconds, but even then the Chris Redfield in RE7 is unrecognizable anyway) in an entirely new location drew some ire.
The same could very well happen with Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie — the pre-release negativity could be forgotten, and the movie could very well wind up embraced by fans in the long run if it turns out to be good. If anything, taking creative liberties like this keeps it more in the spirit of Resident Evil. It’s clearly not adhering 100% to the established game canon, with the winter setting and what appear to be original creatures, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s going to be a bad movie. We should wait for it to come out and watch it before having a meltdown.
All the live-action Resident Evil movies released so far have a “Rotten” on RottenTomatoes. There’s nowhere to go but up.
Zach Cregger’s Track Record Speaks for Itself
Cregger’s first horror movie was 2022’s Barbarian, which earned an impressive 92% on RottenTomatoes and 72% audience score. Then Weapons dropped in 2025 to a 93% critic score and 85% audience score. Cregger is batting 100 when it comes to horror movie projects, and while it’s totally possible Resident Evil will be his first flop, I think it’s fair to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Based on Cregger’s track record, I think the absolute worst case scenario when it comes to his Resident Evil movie is that we wind up with a solid horror film that just doesn’t have enough of the games in it to totally satisfy fans. But after the nonstop assault of abysmal Resident Evil movies we’ve had to deal with over the years, I am totally here for that.
- 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
