New Resident Evil Movie May Give Fans of the Games What They’ve Always Wanted
Resident Evil movies have brought various elements of the games to the big screen. But Zach Cregger's version might really stand out.
Production is now underway on another Resident Evil movie, this time with Zach Cregger at the helm, but the Weapons and Barbarian director is hoping to bring something new to his forthcoming adaptation, aiming for a stripped-down approach that avoids the twists and turns of the movies he’s become celebrated for.
“The movie… has no big twists,” Cregger confirmed on Deadline’s Crew Call podcast (via ThePlaylist). “It’s not a narrative balancing act. It is a pretty straightforward thing. It follows one character from point A to point B. That’s it. And it’s kind of refreshing, you know. I get to kind of just reset and just like play.”
Playing in the Resident Evil movie sandbox also gives Cregger a chance to explore the video game origins of the franchise in a way that fans have always craved, but never quite managed to get in the Paul W.S. Anderson era or the Welcome to Raccoon City reboot. He intends to create the kind of compelling, immersive horror atmosphere that has remained weirdly out of reach throughout all seven movie franchise installments.
Cregger says the games are “inherently cinematic” and deeply appreciates their pacing and dread, but despite his love of the franchise, he won’t be reusing characters or plots. He plans to tell an original story and hopes to capture the core spirit of the Resident Evil games: the slow-burn dread and claustrophobic tension that keeps fans coming back for more.
“There’s something about the structure of those games and the pacing of those games that is so thrilling to me,” he said. “I’ve never seen a movie that really leans in to what those games offer. I love the slow creeping dread that these games naturally kind of exist in. The idea of being able to make a narrative film with the video game structure… I can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. It feels like this movie should have been made a really long time ago, so I’m kind of excited that I get to do it.”
The director thinks his movie might have a chance to reflect how an average Resident Evil player actually experiences the games, plumbing a descent “deeper and deeper into hell”. Though he hasn’t ruled out returning to the twisted narrative style that originally made him stand out, it’s clear that right now he’s focused on making a Resident Evil adaptation that can give fans of the games something they’ve always wanted to experience at the movies.
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Kirsten Howard has paid their dues. Yes sir, the check is in the mail.