Entertainment
First ‘Resident Evil’ Footage Brings Zach Cregger’s Zombie-Infested Video Game Adaptation to Life
2026 has been a fantastic year for Resident Evil fans so far. The release of the ninth mainline installment in the long-running survival horror video game series — Resident Evil: Requiem — has continued Capcom’s recent winning streak, selling a staggering 5 million copies in just its first five days on store shelves and earning rave reviews along the way. Between its new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, and returning fan-favorite Leon S. Kennedy, it married both the terror and the over-the-top action that have made the series a standout over the years. Better yet, the release also comes in the year the franchise is celebrating 30 years of zombie-infected entertainment.
Requiem isn’t all that Capcom’s flagship has in store. On September 18, Resident Evil will return to theaters with a new film adaptation courtesy of Weapons director Zach Cregger. After two massive horror successes in a row, also including 2022’s Barbarian, this will be the former The Whitest Kids U’Know member’s first attempt at bringing to life a beloved universe with his own spin. Compared to the Milla Jovovich-led series and the ill-fated Welcome to Raccoon City, however, this will be an original story that still looks to harness what fans love about the games in a new way. Producer Roy Lee previously described it as a much different affair than Cregger’s Academy Award-winning effort, being “a roller coaster ride of nonstop action” that’s more about replicating the experience of trying to survive in a Raccoon City forever scarred by the t-Virus.
So far, though, details have been kept under wraps and, until now, even official images haven’t seen the light of day. During Sony Pictures’ panel at CinemaCon, however, that finally changed. The first footage was finally unleashed upon viewers with a light tease of the story Cregger co-wrote with Shay Hatten that has had those involved so excited about the film. However, the real focus is the horror, offering a peek at how the director brings his brand of horror to Raccoon City.
Cregger told the crowd that over the last several years he’s played “a shit ton” of Resident Evil, took the stage at CinemaCon to share a first look at his adaptation. Kicking things off is Euphoria and Weapons alum Austin Abrams, who finds himself searching in the empty darkness for a phone. After stumbling upon a house, he knocks to no avail. Still, he enters and uses the telephone to call his partner. As he leaves her a voicemail, we see horrific sequences play out that show the types of sinister entities that he’s up against.
Who Will Venture to Raccoon City for ‘Resident Evil’?
Leading the fight against the undead will be an actor Cregger is very familiar with — Euphoria star Austin Abrams. He was previously seen as local burglar James in Weapons, but it’s safe to say he’s getting a much bigger role this time around after meeting a grim fate at the hands of Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan). He’ll be a medical courier navigating this nightmarish disaster, alongside Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson. There may be no Leon, Jill, Wesker, Ada, or Claire and Chris Redfield, but the film appears to be in good hands, with Cregger previously describing himself as a “rabid” fan of the Resident Evil games and expressing his desire to both adhere to the lore and the world while also making something that can stand on its own.
Resident Evil shambles into theaters on September 18. Stay tuned here at Collider for more coverage from CinemaCon throughout the week.
- Release Date
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September 18, 2026
- Director
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Zach Cregger
- Writers
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Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger
- Producers
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Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Miri Yoon, Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee
- Franchise(s)
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Resident Evil
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