Director Zach Cregger announced the next installment of Resident Evil series to be released in theaters and IMAXs across the globe on September 18, 2026. This production is a collaboration between Sony Pictures, Constantin Film, and PlayStation Productions, costing around $80 million. The shoot began in Prague last October and was directed visually by Dariusz Wolski. This movie is to become the eighth title in the series and, according to the producer, is the second reboot.
Point of View storytelling emphasizes the “average guy”
The storyline involves Bryan, a medical courier portrayed by Austin Abrams, stuck in a city infected by a T-virus throughout one night of Raccoon City’s outbreak. Although this is parallel to Resident Evil 2, there will be no adaptations of existing video games’ plot lines, but rather an original story occurring simultaneously with known happenings without any involvement of established characters such as Leon S. Kennedy.
The filmmaker aimed to create something different. “What I really wanted to do was to make a Resident Evil movie where you’re not following this super bad-ass, but instead you are following your average gamers,” says Zach. The plot is highly influenced by Resident Evil 4 with its pacing, resource management, and evolution elements, and, as stated by the creator, the idea was to honor the atmosphere of playing the game. He also mentions a teaser of Resident Evil: Degeneration as an inspiration.
Cast includes Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson. In addition, the script is co-authored by Shay Hatten, who has written the scripts for several titles in the John Wick franchise.
Also, Zach admits to being unable to involve known heroes. “I wanted to tell a story that would take place in the universe of Resident Evil,” he explains, adding, “I don’t think it would make much sense.” The teaser demonstrates such elements as narrow corridors, sewer passages, and an “inspiration” of a nemesis.
All in all, the idea of making a point-of-view movie with a newbie main character appears to be intriguing indeed.
