Zach Cregger Says Resident Evil Rights Holders Knew They Needed a New Angle to Keep Franchise Fresh

Director Zach Cregger has opened up about his upcoming film adaptation of Resident Evil, offering insight into how he secured the project and why he believes the rights holders recognized the need for a fresh approach. Speaking in recent interviews, Cregger addressed rumors surrounding how he landed the gig, clarifying that he was not simply approached by executives after releasing Barbarian. Instead, he actively pursued the opportunity by pitching his vision passionately.

Cregger shared that he had a lunch meeting with an executive where he pitched a simple story centered on a new character undertaking a foot journey from point A to point B amidst zombie-infested chaos. Rather than following established franchise favorites like Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, or Leon Kennedy, the film centers on an ordinary individual trying to survive. Cregger explained that he mapped out how his narrative would obey game mechanics. While studio Constantin Film was not immediately convinced, Cregger believes the rights holders knew they needed a new angle to keep the franchise fresh, even if they were initially unsure what that direction should look like.

Addressing critics who speculated that he wrote an unrelated story and retroactively slapped the Resident Evil title onto it, Cregger emphasized that while it is an original narrative rather than a direct adaptation of a specific game's plot, it remains deeply rooted in the universe. Cregger, who is a self-proclaimed fan of the games, stated that he crafted the movie he always wished existed.

With a runtime of 95 minutes, the upcoming movie is slightly shorter than the 2002 Paul W.S. Anderson film, which clocked in at 100 minutes. Looking past this project, Cregger indicated that Resident Evil will be his final foray into franchise filmmaking, noting that he prefers the creative freedom to write whatever he wants without being bound by established lore or data points. Resident Evil is scheduled to release in theaters on September 18.