As of this writing, there have been seven live-action function movies primarily based on Capcom’s standard collection of zombie-based video video games. The “Resident Evil” movies launched from 2002 to 2016 have been all a part of the identical (bugnuts loopy) continuity, following the state of the world after the discharge of a lethal mutagenic virus that may flip individuals into zombies, Hulk-like mutants, or vampires (?). The movie collection was rebooted in 2021 with the discharge of Johannes Roberts’ “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon Metropolis,” a movie that tried to re-insert horror parts into a movie collection that had gone off the rails. All of the whereas, Capcom stored releasing “Resident Evil” video video games. From 2002 to 2021, 20 video games (together with a number of spin-offs) have been launched for numerous platforms. And that is not even together with the near-forgotten 2022 “Resident Evil” TV collection that ran on Netflix for one season.
In 2026, the movie collection will see a reboot once more, this time from “Barbarian” and “Weapons” director Zach Cregger. As of this writing, the meant launch date is September 18. Austin Abrams is ready to star, and also will function Paul Walter Hauser. There is not but a correct title, however will probably be a contemporary begin; Cregger’s movie is not going to share a continuity with the pre-2016 movies, nor with “Welcome to Raccoon Metropolis.” Cregger can be penning the script, as he solely wished to direct “Resident Evil” if he was additionally permitted to jot down it. In a current interview with Polygon, Gregger assured followers that he might be making his “Resident Evil” film extra carefully resemble the video games than the earlier motion pictures. He might be modeling the story from the video games “Resident Evil 2” by “Resident Evil 4.”
In a fair more moderen interview with Fangoria Journal (performed by /Movie’s personal Ryan Scott), Gregger elucidated even additional, saying that his movie will not simply borrow story parts from the Capcom video games, however will really be in the identical continuity as them. It will be a large, cross-media storytelling experiment this time.
The brand new Resident Evil film will share a continuity with the video games
The video games that Gregger refers to star the characters Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, two put-upon souls who struggle a zombie outbreak in Raccoon Metropolis. These characters are well-known amongst “Resident Evil” followers, and have loomed massive in a number of video games (Claire particularly). Plainly Cregger could be very keen on the “Resident Evil 2” sport, however he did not simply need to do a straight adaptation of it. He has concepts of his personal. Ryan Scott requested Cregger, fairly pointedly, if his new film can be a separate journey that takes place concurrently throughout the universe of the video games. Cregger confirmed will probably be certainly, saying, “Bullseye. Yeah.” He continued:
“I am not telling Leon’s story. You realize what I imply? I am not utilizing any of the characters from the video games. I am telling my story that exists on this planet of ‘Resident Evil 2.’ You possibly can play ‘2’ and by no means know that the occasions of my story are taking place proper over there, however they’re. I am following the principles, however I am not claiming any key, canon characters as a result of we’ve got these within the video games.”
Ryan Scott, only for the utmost readability, requested if the canon of the “Resident Evil” video games is identical because the film, and he mentioned that it was. It is as clear as day.
Though few have been cherished by critics, thus far, the “Resident Evil” motion pictures have largely been financially profitable. The extant seven motion pictures have earned a collective $1.28 billion on the field workplace, solely costing a collective $313 million to make. Cregger, whose “Weapons” was a crucial darling and a large success on the 2025 field workplace, might have the clout and the expertise to lastly flip the “Resident Evil” movie collection into one thing that critics love as a lot as audiences. Time will inform.
