Fair warning: Resident Evil’s Zach Cregger explains why some video-game fans may hate his movie

Let me just say up front: anyone hoping to see Leon swaggering through the next Resident Evil film should probably brace themselves. Zach Cregger (the chap behind Barbarian, if that rings a bell) is steering the latest big-screen reboot, and he is very clear about one thing – he is not here to recreate the original games, or even to pander to the more obsessive corners of the fanbase. If that sounds a bit blunt, well, Cregger himself is hardly mincing his words.

Here’s how Cregger put it during a sit-down with The Hollywood Reporter: "Then there are fans of the games who specifically love the lore and the characters and the nitty-gritty details of the backstory. But my movie is not spending a lot of currency on those things. I'm not putting any of the legacy characters into this movie."

This approach might cause palpitations among the more devoted Resident Evil obsessives, especially those who live for the detailed backstories and demand to see their favourite Umbrella Corp. survivors getting another spin. Cregger’s pretty relaxed about that too, effectively saying he knows what he’s doing will annoy some, but backing his vision to cut through regardless. And after years of Hollywood not quite knowing what to do with Resident Evil adaptations, maybe that’s a fair shout.

Plot, Cast, and “Not Leon”

The new film, simply titled Resident Evil, lands in cinemas on 18 September 2026. The story follows Bryan Hodukavich (played by Austin Abrams) – not a name you’ll spot in the games – a medical courier caught in utter carnage as he heads into Raccoon City. The action runs alongside the events of Resident Evil 2, but don’t expect any meaningful crossover with Leon, Claire, or any other familiar faces poking around police stations or sewers. This is a parallel story – possibly adjacent, but never quite touching what we’ve seen before.

Resident Evil launches as a standalone story set during the chaos of Resident Evil 2, but none of the famous characters from the games will appear.

The official blurb touts it as an "all-new story," where Bryan gets stuck in a hectic, horror-soaked night in Raccoon City. And let’s be honest, we’ve seen far less inspired attempts to wring something fresh from a video game property. Abrams is joined by Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson, Devon Stewart, and Shaun W. Loeser, which is a solid – if not exactly A-list – line-up.

Production Details

The film clocks in at a punchy 89 minutes (yes, under an hour and a half, which frankly feels almost generous for a resuscitated video game movie). Cregger shares producer credit with the likes of Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Miri Yoon. The distributor is Columbia Pictures, which means this is a proper studio push, not some DTV afterthought.

• Director: Zach Cregger
• Stars: Austin Abrams (Bryan Hodukavich), Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson, Devon Stewart, Shaun W. Loeser
• Release date: 18 September 2026
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• Producers: Zach Cregger, Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Miri Yoon
• Distributor: Columbia Pictures