Resident Evil Movie Director Promises "F**ked Up" Imagery and Total Creative Freedom

Director Zach Cregger has opened up about his upcoming Resident Evil film, teasing "really wild" sequences packed with "f**ked up and weird" imagery. The movie hits theaters on September 18.

Speaking to Empire, Cregger described the film as the most violent project he's ever made, saying it was important to him to go "grotesque" with it. He also confirmed he had final-cut privilege — meaning the studio had zero say in the final version — putting him in rare company alongside Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. "I was not interfered with. I didn't have anyone putting any sort of limitations on me," he said. The film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier navigating a monster-infested Raccoon City hospital. Cregger noted that Abrams was nearly taken out by a 150-pound blood bag during filming — and that scene made the final cut.

Cregger previously earned final-cut privileges on Weapons, his original horror film, but Resident Evil is a Capcom IP with a massive, protective fanbase. The series spans decades of survival horror games, multiple prior film adaptations, and one of gaming's most recognizable monster rosters. Cregger says he's a genuine fan, but he's not interested in ticking franchise boxes — his version follows one man on foot fighting monsters, and he's leaning hard into momentum: "We step on the gas at about eight minutes in and never take our foot off the floor." He did express some uncertainty about whether the breakout "Aunt Gladys" horror beat from Weapons can be replicated, but says Resident Evil has "a couple of things" that are comparably wild.

Fan reaction has been mixed, with many voicing concern over Cregger's apparent willingness to diverge from established lore. Meanwhile, the broader Resident Evil universe is in good health — Capcom recently announced that Resident Evil Requiem has crossed 8 million units sold.