Resident Evil director Zach Cregger knows that there’s pressure for his new movie to succeed, and that fans won’t be happy if it heavily deviates from the source material.

Cregger previously helmed Barbarian and Weapons, two of the most critically loved horror movies of the decade, and he’s set to bring his twisted approach to the new Resident Evil movie.

The new film comes five years after Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City adapted the first two games in the franchise, starring Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Avan Jogia as Leon Kennedy, and Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker.

It was met with mixed reviews, and earned $41 million at the box office. Now, Cregger’s movie is reportedly taking a different approach by telling an original story within the universe of the games. But he’s well aware that if he changes the source material, fans won’t be happy.

Zach Cregger hasn’t seen a movie that captures the spirit of the Resident Evil games

When speaking to The New York Times about the recent trend in Hollywood going all in on video game movies, Cregger admitted that his first response is “don’t ruin this for me” when hearing about a live-action adaptation of a game. It suggests that he’s conscious of the weight that franchises like Resident Evil carries for the fans.

Later on, the feature points out that fans are now getting to a point where they’re the ones working on these franchises in Hollywood, pointing to Cregger as an example.

When discussing his new Resident Evil movie, he said: “I love the idea of being pitted against a world that is hellbent on annihilating you. It just feels fun and I haven’t seen a movie that offers that sort of experience.” He added that he expects horror fans will “crucify” him if the new film changes the source material in any way.

The story for the new film is being kept under wraps, but a 2025 leak claimed Weapons and Euphoria star Austin Abrams stars as a medical courier who finds himself fighting to stay alive against the horrors of the T-virus. It’s not clear if it’s set during the initial outbreak or elsewhere in the franchise, but Cregger previously said that it won’t be “obedient” to the lore.

Until we know more about Cregger’s Resident Evil movie, check out our most anticipated movies of 2026.