Resident Evil was released in 1996, and it changed horror games forever. Its rise to fame was obvious when it soon got a movie in 2002, also titled Resident Evil. While it was an original take, it did throw in character references, and in total, there were six films.
Then, in 2021, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was released in an effort to please fans by being more faithful to the games, but it wasn’t a huge success. Now, Barbarian and Weapons director, Zach Cregger, is stepping in with his own original take. There are no major details released yet, but the new Resident Evil movie will debut on September 18, 2026. Let’s go through some things Cregger should avoid doing.
Don’t Revisit The Spencer Mansion Or Raccoon City Again
Perhaps It’s Time To Head To Europe
Between the original live-action movies and the reboot, Raccoon City has been visited enough. Setting up a new character to explore Raccoon City during the zombie outbreak would be easy enough. In fact, a great game to adapt would be Resident Evil Outbreak, which was a multiplayer game showcasing various residents trying to escape Raccoon City.
That said, zombie movies set in cities have been done, and if Cregger wants to set his adaptation apart, there are two great places to start: Louisiana and Europe. Louisiana is the setting of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, while Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Village both take place in vague areas of Europe. Any of these locations would bring fresh blood to the movie series, which is why avoiding Raccoon City is more ideal.
If There Are Cameos, Don’t Tweak Characters
Keep Leon Cool
Cregger has said that he wants his movie to stand out and wishes to avoid legacy characters. That doesn’t mean they won’t be in the movie, as he is being cagey at the moment. If characters like Jill Valentine and Leon S. Kennedy are in the movie, then Cregger’s actors have to nail their game portrayals perfectly.
While Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was technically more faithful to the games, there were problems fans had. Namely, Leon wasn’t the confident police rookie that they knew and loved from Resident Evil 2. New characters can help avoid fans having a problem with character changes, but no legacy characters or references may be bad too. It’s a tough spot to be in when adapting games into movies.
Don’t Avoid Humor
Keep That Signature Cregger Style
What sets Cregger’s movies apart from a lot of modern horror movies is that they nail the humor without ever feeling like comedies. The tension he builds is released with small moments of humor that gives the audience a chance to catch their breath. In Barbarian, there were small moments where Justin Long’s character was acting like a real heel. In Weapons, Josh Brolin dropping an “F” bomb at the top of his lungs after a strange dream was great too.
The Resident Evil movies, so far, have been either a bit too serious or over the top. There’s a difference between laughing at a movie and laughing with a movie. If Cregger can retain his horror movie humor in his Resident Evil adaptation, then everything should work out. The games how to handle humor, albeit in goofy ways with characters, but it’s still appreciated, from Chris punching boulders to the very existence of Salazar.
If There Are Cliffhangers, Don’t Make Them Glaring
Don’t Build A Franchise
Barbarian and Weapons both had cliffhangers, but not in glaring ways that made their audiences upset. They ended well enough that the audience was able to fill in the gaps. Sequels could be made after the events of the movie, but they wouldn’t be necessary. Self-contained horror stories are often the best.
That said, there are talks about getting a particular character a prequel movie, but that’s just a little extra thing. A lot of studios now are interested in setting up movie franchises and universes. While it would be cool to get a sprawling MCU version of Resident Evil with competent directors following Cregger, it isn’t necessary. Just one good adaptation is all fans really want, so hopefully Cregger isn’t pressured into leaving too many questions unanswered.
Keep The Action Clean
No One Likes A Dark Movie
When there are creepy monsters involved, a lot of horror movies often set their stories at night to avoid showing too much. This adds to the creepiness, but it can also hurt a movie when there is an expected amount of action. Viewers should be able to see the creatures and the bullets flying in this movie.
That said, a Resident Evil movie doesn’t necessarily have to have action. A good portion of the beginning of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard mostly had Ethan Winters running away and solving puzzles. A good, atmospheric mystery horror movie could be the way to go. After all, the action got a bit too wild in the other Resident Evil movie adaptations. Either way, whatever goes down, viewers want to see what’s going on with clean directing.
Don’t Go Experimental With The Storytelling
Not Another Weapons
With just two movies under his belt, there is one thematic thing, beyond humor, that fans can use to tie Barbarian and Weapons together. In Barbarian, the movie starts with one character, and then the perspectives change several times after that. This was dialed up in Weapons completely, almost to the point of feeling like a modern Rashomon adaptation.
For those unfamiliar with Japanese cinema, Rashomon is a very famous film wherein perspectives from all angles are explored. Sticking with one character in the Resident Evil movie would be a change for Cregger, technically, but it would help his audience focus. Also, making it shorter than Weapons would also help, as it did feel like a stretch at times.
