Zach Cregger Admits Writing Resident Evil Not Knowing If He Would Direct It: ‘Barbarian Had Come Out But…’
Resident Evil marks Zach Cregger’s debut in the blockbuster franchise. The Barbarian and Weapons director is helming the 2026 film, set to release on 18th September in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
It’s going to be all things horror and gaming at the cinemas as Resident Evil hits theatres on September 18. Starring Austin Abrams, the film marks director Zach Cregger’s first foray into the iconic horror-survival franchise. Known for his acclaimed horror films Barbarian and Weapons, Cregger is now set to bring his own distinctive vision to the beloved video game adaptation. Ahead of the film’s release, the filmmaker revealed that the opportunity to write Resident Evil came knocking after the success of Barbarian.
A fan of the games, Cregger shared, “When I wrote this, I didn’t think they were ever going to let me direct it. Barbarian had come out, but like, Weapons was nowhere near in production. So I was like, this is going to be a big movie. They’re never going to give it to me. So I’m just going to write my favourite Resident Evil movie. The idea of making a movie that just kind of plays in the sandbox of how these games progress and how the world feels, just felt like a really exciting thing as a writing exercise. I was really fortunate things worked out the way they did.”
From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
From Columbia Pictures and Constantin Film, in association with TriStar Pictures, Resident Evil hits theatres on September 18, 2026. Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment India, the film releases in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
By Keerti Kadam