Zach Cregger, director of 2022’s “Barbarian,” is staying busy these days. Not only does it produce the The upcoming sci-fi/horror film “Companion”. But his new film “Weapons” is also set to hit theaters later this year. Now, it seems the filmmaker is asking to take a crack at a legendary franchise. Namely “Resident Evil.” That’s right! It’s time to reboot, once again, everyone!
According to The Hollywood ReporterCregger is attached to write and direct a new film based on the classic Capcom video game series. Plot details remain entirely under wraps, but it is said that this new take will “bring the title back to its horror roots and be more faithful to the initial games.” Hollywood is foaming at the mouth at the thought. Several studios, including Warner Bros. and Netflix, are currently in a bidding war for the rights to the project.
Constantine Film, which owns the film rights to “Resident Evil,” is producing, as is PlayStation Productions, which launched in 2019 to turn its games into films and TV shows. For what it’s worth, Cregger’s production company has a deal at Warner Bros./New Line Cinema, which seems like a logical destination. Ultimately, it will likely come down to who has the deepest pockets and the most favorable terms.
Resident Evil Needs an Overhaul and Zach Cregger is the Right Man for the Job
Although video game movies have always been a blockbuster prospect, this franchise has been a bright spot, financially speaking. THE The “Resident Evil” films have grossed more than $1.2 billion at the box office collectivelydating back to the original 2002. The series includes seven live-action films, as well as several animated entries that primarily went direct-to-video.
For Cregger, this suggests a growing confidence in his ability as a filmmaker. “Barbarian” was an unexpected success, taking $45 million against a budget of just $4.5 million. Against rave reviews, it put him on the map. Rightly so, as he has proven to be an inventive voice in the genre space, working with limited resources. For a franchise that has been spinning its wheels for several years, a voice like this is just what the doctor ordered.
As my colleague BJ Colangelo pointed out after the release of 2021’s “Welcome to Raccoon City,” It will be a difficult task to please all “Resident Evil” fans in the modern eraas many of them want different things. The Netflix live-action show lasted for just one season. Action-oriented films starring Milla Jovovich had really run their course by the release of 2017’s “The Final Chapter.” “Raccoon City” was pretty faithful to the games in many ways, but that didn’t not successful. Where do we go from here? That’s for Cregger to figure out.
For my money, he feels like the perfect guy to hand over the keys. I’ve played video games most of my life and this is my favorite series, period. I also count “Barbarian” as my favorite movie of 2022. I can only speak for myself, but it sounds like a match made in heaven. With the right studio support, this could be a real treat. Fortunately, it looks like Cregger and the producers are firmly in control here. Fingers crossed.
The new “Resident Evil” movie doesn’t have a release date yet, but stay tuned.
