Zach Cregger’s upcoming “Resident Evil” reboot, which has tested very well, now has a new trailer. It looks like a frenetic banger—a great way to whet our appetites for what could be September’s most anticipated movie.
After the success of “Weapons,” Sony gave Cregger an unusually high degree of creative freedom, reportedly paying him $20 million to write and direct the film however he wanted. Early reactions describe the movie as a fast-paced, 95-minute horror thriller that emphasizes relentless momentum over complex storytelling, with one attendee comparing it to “a horror version of Fury Road.”
The story centers on Bryan (Austin Abrams), a package delivery driver assigned to transport a mysterious briefcase to Raccoon City Hospital during the outbreak of a deadly virus. Bryan is portrayed as an aimless, drug-using everyman who serves as the audience’s point-of-view character, stumbling from one terrifying situation to the next rather than undergoing significant character development.
According to attendees, the film favors constant forward motion, frequent monster encounters, practical creature effects, and environments inspired by the early “Resident Evil” games.
Rather than building an expansive mythology, Cregger keeps the film small in scope, with a limited cast and almost no world-building. The emphasis is on cinematic horror set pieces, practical effects, and visual storytelling. Fans of the games will be happy to hear that the movie includes recognizable monsters and a handful of Easter eggs, but beyond that, it is said to have very little connection to the actual story or lore of the video games.
Cregger has previously stated that he never watched the earlier 2000s “Resident Evil” movies starring Milla Jovovich—music to my ears, as they were terrible. He has no intention of closely following the franchise’s established canon. Instead, his focus is on horror, speed, and energy—a stripped-down, horror-first interpretation of the franchise.
Sony is scheduled to release “Resident Evil” in theaters on September 18, 2026.
For Schrader, AI solves the curious practical filmmaking problem he had. How about just creating Black people? No casting calls, no agents, no actors turning down the roles.