2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for the Resident Evil franchise. In February, the long-running video game series released another critically acclaimed installment, with Resident Evil Requiem emerging as an early Game of the Year contender. And in just a handful of months, the world of Resident Evil will make its return to movie theaters with a new film directed by Weapons helmsman Zach Cregger. Following the debut of a chilling teaser trailer, there’s been much discussion about where Resident Evil takes place in the overall franchise timeline. Cregger recently weighed in on this matter, but fans have pointed out some inconsistencies.

According to Cregger, his Resident Evil tells a story that’s parallel to the events of the video game Resident Evil 2, which depicts the Raccoon City outbreak. However, on Reddit, fans are questioning if that can truly be the case. In Resident Evil 2, the Raccoon City Incident took place from September 23rd – October 1st in 1998. In discussion threads about the Resident Evil movie trailer, fans have mentioned that the film takes place during the winter (see: snow covering cars on the streets) and main character Bryan appears to be holding an iPhone in one scene. This raises questions about whether or not the movie actually aligns with the game canon.

Resident Evil Movie Timeline Inconsistencies Explained

When examining how Resident Evil relates to the games, it is important to keep in mind that the film was never meant to be a direct 1:1 adaptation of the source material. From the beginning, Cregger made it clear that he was crafting an original narrative that just happened to take place in the Resident Evil universe. It sounds like his primary concern was to ensure his Resident Evil worked on its own merits as a terrifying survival horror movie that honored the spirit of the games, rather than figuring out exactly how everything connects to the franchise lore.

Additionally, creatives implement changes in adaptations all the time. In the Last of Us video game, the virus outbreak happens in 2013; on the TV series, that same outbreak takes place in 2003. So, it’s possible Cregger has altered the timeline of events to better suit his movie. Theoretically, he could make it so that the Raccoon City Incident occurs in December in the present day, which would explain the weather and modern technology seen in the trailer. In Resident Evil 2, the Raccoon City outbreak is set in 1998 because that’s when the game was originally released. There isn’t anything specific to that story that locks it to a particular time period. The basic premise of the t-virus epidemic could just as easily take place in 2026.

Another thing to consider is that Bryan may not actually be holding an iPhone in the trailer. We see him use some sort of device as a flashlight, but perhaps it’s a mountable flashlight. If that’s the case, then Resident Evil could potentially take place in the late ’90s; a skilled director like Cregger, who is meticulous about details, would not include a blatant anachronism like an iPhone in 1998. Since there’s only a brief glimpse of the device in the trailer, it’s difficult to understand the full context, so it’ll be interesting to see how this scene plays out in the final film.

As we get closer to the Resident Evil release date, the movie’s relationship to the games will undoubtedly be a topic of conversation. Cregger will likely spend parts of the press tour addressing any concerns hardcore gamers may have. For now, anyway, it’s probably best to just think of the film as its own thing that isn’t literally part of the games’ canon. Cregger probably chose to base it around the Raccoon City Incident because that was the easiest way to frame a film that’s being described as the Mad Max: Fury Road of horror movies. Bryan is running for his life as a zombie apocalypse unfolds around him, and that’s the only thing that matters.