There was a time when genre fans would have been laughed out of a room if they suggested that the next big screen Resident Evil adaptation would be directed by an award-winning filmmaker who actually respects the games. Fast forward to 2026 and series fans are going berserk with anticipation as Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is set to infects theaters on September 18.
While Cregger has proved himself to be an unpredictable filmmaker with quite a few cinematic tricks up his sleeves, the new film’s extended marketing campaign. which included an exclusive event where fans were allowed to watch the first 30 minutes of the movie has given us quite a few hints about this latest reimagining of Capcom’s flagship survival horror series.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to put anxious fans at ease by coming up with this handy guide about what to expect from the long-awaited reboot.
So combine those healing herbs and organize your briefcases as we discuss everything we know so far about 2026’s Resident Evil!
Don’t Expect to See Mr. X and Other Exaggerated Monsters
While Cregger has repeatedly expressed that he’s a huge fan of the RE franchise, he’s also a serious filmmaker who understands the inherent differences between artistic mediums. That’s why he’s gone on record explaining that the upcoming film won’t feature overly “videogame-y” monsters like the trenchcoat-clad Mr. X and other over-the-top freaks.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t see any iteration of the series’ iconic Tyrants, especially since I have a feeling that Cregger is keeping cards close to his chest when discussing elements present in the latter half of the flick. But it indicates that the movie will probably focus on more traditional monsters like zombies and mutated animals.
Resident Evil is Part of an Unofficial Trilogy Including Weapons and The Flood
During a recent Reddit AMA, Cregger claimed that he wrote Resident Evil during the same single burst of creative activity that spawned Weapons and his upcoming thriller Flood. That’s why all three of these movies are apparently connected by recurring narrative themes and a similar “energy”.
If the early reactions to Resident Evil are to be believed, this also means that the movie contains roughly the same balance of absurdist humor and relentless terror that we saw in last year’s Weapons.
The Film Doesn’t Take Place in the ’90s
Both the director himself and the film’s marketing have made it clear that the new Resident Evil is an original story that takes place at the same time as the initial T-Virus outbreak first presented in 1998’s RE2. However, this doesn’t mean that the new movie is necessarily a period piece.
You see, instead of limiting himself to the existing (and admittedly convoluted) mythology of the series, Cregger preferred to update the events of the games in order to avoid alienating viewers who weren’t familiar with the source material. This also means that the events of his film don’t necessarily have to lead to the same familiar end point as the games.
Austin Abrams Will Have to Deal with Resource Management
During that aforementioned Reddit AMA, Cregger also explained that he hoped to translate some of the franchise’s game mechanics to the big screen as a way of paying homage to the moment-to-moment thrills of actually playing through the series.
While the director was coy about how he intends to implement the franchise’s iconic health system into the film, he confirmed that keeping track of Austin Abrams’ character’s items and ammunition is a big part of how the adaptation creates cinematic tension.
The Story Begins Outside of Raccoon City
The organizers behind the thirty-minute sneak preview of Resident Evil went to great lengths in order to avoid major spoilers leaking out from the event. However, we’ve learned enough from fans who were lucky enough to be invited to the experience to deduce that the film is a non-stop roller coaster ride that only escalates as the story goes on.
After all, one viewer even explained that the terrifying preview ended before Austin Abrams’ character had even made it to Raccoon City. This detail actually reminded me of how the director had previously claimed that the movie’s breakneck pacing was inspired by Resident Evil 4, his most-played game in the series, while the scares themselves are supposed to be reminiscent of the disturbing first-person horror of the more recent RE titles.
I’m of the opinion that Cregger and Sony Pictures are keeping plenty of secrets when discussing Resident Evil, but I also think it’s safe to say that the new film is set to be the most terrifying entry in the franchise so far. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own theories about the movie if you also think there’s more to the marketing than initially meets the eye.
Zach Cherry (“Severance”), Kali Reis (“True Detective: Night Country”), Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”), and Johnno Wilson (“Twisted Metal”) also star in the film directed by Cregger, who co-writes with Shay Hatten.
Of course, we’ll only know for sure once the film finally hits theaters on September 18!
