Sony has released the first teaser trailer for Resident Evil (2026), the new live-action adaptation directed by Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian). The footage, which was first previewed in-room at CinemaCon earlier this month, has already sparked mixed reactions from fans. While many praised the intense horror atmosphere, the biggest complaint is that it barely resembles the Resident Evil games.
The lack of recognizable Resident Evil icons in the teaser is intentional. A longtime fan of the series, Zach Cregger has made it clear he has no interest in retreading the games beat-for-beat. “Fans can simply play them instead,” he has essentially argued. Capcom has officially approved his fresh approach, granting the director full creative freedom to craft his own vision for the franchise.The trailer introduces Austin Abrams as a medical courier trudging through a snowy night and into a dark, empty house. It quickly escalates with intense shots of bloodied zombies, overturned vehicles, and chaotic scenes of bodies falling and exploding across snow-covered streets.
In a new Q&A with the PlayStation Blog, Zach Cregger revealed what inspired him to take on the Resident Evil film: “I wanted to do a movie that was following a character from point A to point B, because that’s what those games do so well… That feels so cinematic to me.”Instead of retelling a story fans already know from the games, Cregger deliberately set his original narrative on the sidelines of the Resident Evil 2 events in Raccoon City.
AD: Venture Into the Ruins of Raccoon City in Resident Evil Requiem, available now for the PlayStation 5.
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Zach Cregger is directing the new Resident Evil film from a script he co-wrote with Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4). Constantin Film is producing and co-financing the project. The cast includes Austin Abrams in the lead role, alongside Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser.The producing team features Robert Kulzer, Zach Cregger, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Carter Swan, and Asad Qizilbash, with executive producers Oliver Berben, Victor Hadida, Richard Wright, and Robert Bernacchi. The film debuts in theaters on September 18, 2026.
Resident Evil known as Biohazard (バイオハザード) in Japan is Capcom’s iconic Japanese horror video game franchise that launched in 1996 and redefined the survival horror genre. It remains one of the highest-grossing and best-selling video game franchises of all time, with over 170 million copies sold worldwide as of March 2025. The series has expanded far beyond games into live-action films, animated movies, TV series, comics, novels, and merchandise.
Source: IGN, PlayStation Blog
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