The 2026 Resident Evil reboot follows a medical courier named Brian (Austin Abrams) who becomes stranded in an isolated hospital as a deadly outbreak unfolds in Raccoon City. The film takes place in 1998 and will reportedly be more grounded than the franchise’s video games and previous adaptations. The movie will also star Paul Walter Hauser as Carl and Johnno Wilson as Max. Zach Cherry and Kali Reis have also signed onto the project, but their roles have not been revealed at the time of this article’s publication.
In an interview with the New York Times, Cregger explained how he will try his best to do the iconic horror franchise justice. While his Resident Evil reboot won’t feature any characters from the video games, he promises to capture the intensity and suspense that define the games while crafting an entirely new story. He also stated that he would stay true to the games’ lore, adding that fans would likely “crucify” him if he were to stray too far away from the source material.
However, he acknowledged that the film almost certainly upset many gamers. Cregger even went as far as to say that he actually expects people to respond negatively to the Resident Evil reboot, because when it comes to a franchise that is so massive, it is impossible to please everybody. And, like every single adaptation that has ever existed, there will be people who are set on hating it regardless of how the final product turns out.
Cregger also addressed the challenges of reimagining a franchise with such a loyal and passionate fan base. He added that he knew from first-hand experience how disappointing film or TV adaptations could be to the gamers who made them so successful. The director admitted that every time something he really enjoys is getting an adaptation, he always fears that the studios would destroy the spirit of the games in question.
Unlike the previous adaptations, which often centered around original Resident Evil figures, Cregger’s reboot will introduce a brand-new group of characters created specifically for the film. The director revealed that the reasoning behind not reusing any of Resident Evil’s iconic faces is that he wanted to tell an original story. Although popular characters like Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield would certainly draw crowds to the theaters, their stories are already well-established and retelling them runs the risk of angering fans with any potential changes to their origins.
Capcom’s Resident Evil is arguably one of the most popular horror video game series in the world. The first chapter was released in 1996, and the franchise continues to release new installments regularly, with many more projects on the way. The most recent game is Resident Evil Requiem (RE9), which was released on February 27, 2026, and received phenomenal reviews.
Resident Evil Requiem focuses on the journey of FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft as she investigates a string of unexplained deaths among Raccoon City survivors. The case becomes personal as she looks into her late mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, an investigative reporter (Resident Evil Outbreak). She also teams up with Leon, and they begin to uncover a larger conspiracy tied to a secretive facility known as Ark and a mysterious project called Elpis.
Resident Evil will be released in theaters on September 18, 2026.
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Resident Evil
- 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
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- Created by
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Shinji Mikami, Tokuro Fujiwara
- First Film
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Resident Evil
- Latest Film
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Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
- First TV Show
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Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
- Latest TV Show
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Resident Evil
- First Episode Air Date
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July 8, 2021
“Resident Evil” is a survival horror franchise that originated as a video game series before expanding into films, animated movies, TV shows, comics, and novels. The franchise focuses on the outbreak of a deadly virus developed by the Umbrella Corporation, leading to a global apocalypse filled with zombies and other mutated creatures. Known for its tense atmosphere, intricate puzzles, and engaging storylines, “Resident Evil” has become one of the most successful and influential franchises in both gaming and horror entertainment.