The Biggest Action Thriller Epic of the Year Officially Arrives in 3 Weeks

Zach Cregger has become one of the hottest directors in Hollywood thanks to the success of 2022’s Barbarian and 2025’s Weapons. Drawing on his experience as a founding member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’ Know, Cregger combines humor and horror in films with shocking twists. Barbarian starts with a tense rental mixup before transitioning into a monster movie, while Weapons uses a layered narrative to slowly reveal the reason a class of third-graders went missing. Amy Madigan won an Oscar for playing the film’s twisted villain Aunt Gladys. But for his next movie, Cregger is going even bigger by adapting a storied franchise known for epic action and chilling jump scares.

Resident Evil arrives in theaters in three weeks. Cregger’s latest project has a far higher budget and also big expectations, as he has the chance to redeem a beloved horror game series with a terrible cinematic track record. It’s a labor of love for the director, though the project is already dividing fans worried that 2026’s Resident Evil film will feel like the work of an auteur rather than the franchise they love.

That’s because Cregger’s spin on Resident Evil won’t include any of the franchise’s protagonists. However, the director says he’s a huge fan of Capcom’s horror series and has packed the film with Easter eggs, even shifting the perspective of his camera work in a way reminiscent of Resident Evil Requiem. Even if you’ve been burned by previous Resident Evil films, here’s why you should give Cregger’s a try when it arrives in theaters on Sept. 18.

How does Resident Evil connect to the film franchise?

Image: Sony

Cregger’s Resident Evil is a full reboot of the Resident Evil film franchise, which was last rebooted in 2021 with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. That film was a critical and commercial flop. Thankfully you don’t need to watch it or any other movies before jumping in.

What is Resident Evil about?

Image: Sony

Weapons star Austin Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier looking to make some extra money by working late and making a delivery outside his normal route. That takes him to Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, when the T-virus is turning people into monsters, though the film is set in the modern day rather than 1998. Unlike Leon S. Kennedy, Bryan doesn’t have any weapons training. He has to learn quickly to survive a gauntlet of horrors as he travels to Raccoon City and ascends a skyscraper hospital where he faces increasingly disturbing creatures. Cregger’s goal is to evoke the vibe and pacing of the game, whether it’s forcing Bryan to navigate a dark sewer where a monster is lurking or presenting him with a bank of doors so it’s unclear where the next threat will emerge.

How can you watch Resident Evil?

Resident Evil releases in theaters on Sept. 18. It will also be shown in IMAX.