Let's get this out of the way up front: Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie won't be what you think it is. No S.T.A.R.S. squad. No Wesker sunglasses. No dutiful mansion reenactments lit like a haunted perfume ad.
Instead? An original story. New characters. Uncharted territory.
Depending on who you ask, that's either cinematic heresy—or the first smart move the franchise has made since the GameCube remake.
The Courier of Chaos
According to scooper DanielRPK (via Coming Soon), the film follows a courier—yep, a delivery guy—who winds up at a remote hospital mid-outbreak. The lead role is reportedly going to Euphoria's Austin Abrams, playing a completely new character named Brian.
Not Leon. Not Chris. Just Brian.
You can practically hear the Reddit threads groaning. But honestly? Thank God. The last thing we need is another half-baked fan-service Frankenstein that tries to please everyone and winds up with the narrative depth of a damp cutscene.
This isn't a remake. It's a reboot—with blood still on the floor.
Who's Behind the Virus?
Cregger—yes, the guy who gave us the wildly unsettling Barbarian—is writing the film alongside Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4, Army of the Dead). That pairing alone should rattle your expectations like a loose pipe in a locked basement.
These aren't guys trying to color inside Capcom's lines. They're more likely to blow the sketchbook up.
The movie's eyeing a September 18, 2026 release from Sony Pictures, and if early word is right, the tone's swinging back toward horror—real horror. Not the fireball-slinging, motorcycle-flipping, CGI bloat of the Milla Jovovich era (though those six films did rack up a casual $1.28 billion worldwide).
What we're getting sounds grimmer, weirder… maybe even good.
The Jaded Optimist in Me
Look, I'm not naïve. I've seen what happens when studios “reimagine” video game IP. (Remember Halo on Paramount+? Neither does Paramount.)
But if you're gonna take a swing, swing hard. And Cregger? He doesn't bunt.
Sure, it's risky. Fans want their lore. They want their Jill Valentine one-liners and dogs bursting through windows. But what they don't want—what they're done with—is the paint-by-numbers, zombie-by-numbers mediocrity we've been getting.
And honestly? A blue-collar nobody stumbling into bioweapon hell sounds more terrifying than watching yet another genetically engineered badass pose in slow motion.
Let this be weird. Let it be grounded. Let it bleed.
So… what do you think?
Would you rather have a bold misfire or another stitched-together nostalgia corpse?
CONFIRMED INFO
– Directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons)
– Written by Cregger and Shay Hatten (John Wick 4, Army of the Dead)
– Starring Austin Abrams (Euphoria) as “Brian” (original character)
– Release date: September 18, 2026
– Studio: Sony Pictures
– Not adapting any specific game from the Resident Evil series
