Resident Evil
The nightmare of Raccoon City is about to be reborn on the big screen. After several adaptations more or less faithful to the legendary Capcom franchise, a new reboot of Resident Evil finally arrives in cinemas on September 16, 2026. This time, it is Zach Cregger – the director of Barbarian and Weapons – who takes the helm of a project already presented as one of the big horror sensations of the year. And the first images have just been revealed.
From the first shots, one thing jumps out at you: this new Resident Evil is unlike any of the previous films in the saga. Exit the ultra-stylized action à la Milla Jovovich. Zach Cregger seems to want to return to the very essence of survival horror: fear, tension and the constant feeling of being vulnerable.
The images revealed show a dark, almost oppressive universe. We discover Austin Abrams in the role of Bryan, a simple medical courier who finds himself trapped in the middle of a biological disaster in Raccoon City. No super-soldier here, but an ordinary character confronted with a totally uncontrollable situation. A choice assumed by the director, who wants to rediscover the sensations felt by the players of the first video games: advancing into the unknown with very few resources and an omnipresent fear.
Visually, the film seems to focus on a dirty, brutal and nervous atmosphere. The first footage seen at CinemaCon shows deserted snow-covered streets, grotesque creatures in the sewers, hospitals plunged into chaos and particularly disturbing zombies. Several American media are already talking about an assumed return to pure horror.
But what intrigues fans the most is the direction Zach Cregger is taking. The filmmaker says he wants to offer a work that is “strange†, “crazy†and even “structurally unique†. According to him, the film will be directly inspired by the feeling of progression of the Resident Evil video games, particularly in the way in which the hero discovers new weapons and survives difficult situations. more and more extreme.
Another surprise: the film will not feature emblematic characters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine. Instead, Cregger constructs a completely original story set in the universe of the license. A risky bet which is already dividing fans. Some welcome this desire to renew the formula, while others fear an adaptation that is still too far removed from the original material.
On the casting side, Austin Abrams will be accompanied by Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry and Kali Reis. The production also brings together Columbia Pictures, Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions, with a budget estimated at $80 million.
One thing is certain: Sony seems to believe very strongly in the potential of this new reboot. Between the chilling first images, Zach Cregger’s radical approach and the immense popularity of the video game franchise, Resident Evil could well become one of the horror cinema events of the 2026 school year.
It remains to be seen whether this return to Raccoon City will finally succeed in offering fans the visceral and terrifying adaptation they have been waiting for for almost thirty years.
Â
