New Resident Evil Movie Will Be "Unlike Any Of The Previous Films," Director Says

The upcoming Resident Evil movie from Barbarian director Zach Cregger will be "unlike any of the previous films" in the series, the director said at CinemaCon this week.

He's likely referring to director Paul W.S. Anderson's string of Resident Evil movies that starred Anderson's wife Milla Jovovich. Those six films grossed more than $1 billion, but were not exactly well-received.

According to IGN, Cregger said his new Resident Evil movie will be "built in the spirit" of the video game series, which includes following one central protagonist from point A to point B as they "descend deeper into hell."

"There's a moment that comes in almost every Resident Evil game where you find yourself in a dark passageway, your health is almost zero and there’s no way around," Cregger said. "You have to go through but you know there's something awful for you in the darkness."

Austin Abrams had been cast in the new Resident Evil movie as a lead, while Oscar-winner Mikey Madison is said to be in the mix for a part. Production on the movie is said to begin later this year.

Cregger's newest movie, Weapons, is coming to theaters this August, starring Josh Brolin and Julia Garner. His best-received film, Barbarian, was released in 2022.

The new Resident Evil movie is set for release in theaters in September 2026. It won't be the only video game movie coming out that year, as Nintendo's The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is coming in April 2026.

Cregger was previously best known for his work in the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U'Know. He co-directed 2009's Miss March with his late WKUK co-star Trevor Moore, but it was Barbarian that catapulted Cregger to a new level of fame and success. He is reportedly receiving a fee of $20 million to write and direct the new Resident Evil movie for Sony.