Zach Cregger Revived Resident Evil Movies After Studio Placed Franchise on Hold

Following the box office performance of 2021's Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, movie distributor Constantin Films planned to give the Resident Evil film franchise a rest. Constantin Films CEO Oliver Berben explained that the company wanted to leave the property alone and find a completely new way to adapt it for the future.

That direction shifted when director Zach Cregger approached Constantin Films alongside producer Roy Lee to ask if the intellectual property was available. Cregger met with Constantin Films co-president Robert Kulzer in a Beverly Hills cafe to present his vision for a new movie. Berben noted that Cregger had the entire film mapped out in his head.

Cregger approached the project from a gamer perspective. He had not seen the live-action movies directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and his pitch focused on a normal person thrown into a nightmarish situation. Studio leadership was won over by the concept, which was more moody and aligned closely with the games. Ahead of the film's September 18 release, box office analysts estimate that the movie could earn between $40 million and $50 million in North America during its opening weekend.