Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” appears to be embracing first-person gameplay, with the film reportedly using the perspective across several action and horror sequences rather than as a one-off gimmick.
A new teaser briefly revealed a roughly four-second POV shot with a pistol raised in front of the camera — Cregger seems to be using first-person selectively to make the film actually feel like playing a “Resident Evil” game. Full image below.
Cregger, who directed “Barbarian” and “Weapons,” has said the film aims to recreate the experience of actually playing a “Resident Evil” game rather than simply retelling an existing instalment. The movie incorporates familiar elements including green herbs, infected dogs, the Umbrella Corporation, and Raccoon City.
The story follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who becomes caught in a terrifying fight for survival as chaos erupts over one horrifying night. A test reaction, back in April, described the film as a lean, mean ride with barely any fat on it—a “Fury Road”-style horror thriller.
MORE: “Resident Evil” has also seemingly finished post production as it’s officially received an R rating from the MPA for “strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout,” which should come as welcome news. No toning it down for a broader audience.
The official runtime for “Resident Evil” is set at 1 hour and 35 minutes. The screenplay was only about 95 pages long, with relatively little dialogue, so this checks out. The budget is around $80M, with Cregger having been paid the handsome sum of $20M to direct.
The film opens in theaters and IMAX on September 18, 2026.
“Resident Evil” appears to be embracing first-person gameplay, with the film reportedly using the perspective across several action and horror sequences rather than as a one-off gimmick.