Resident Evil (2026)

When the first trailer for Resident Evil dropped and fans immediately had opinions. Some people are excited to see what Zach Cregger is bringing to the franchise, while others are frustrated that the movie isn’t directly adapting the game story they already know and love. Cregger has been upfront from the beginning that his movie wouldn’t simply recycle familiar game characters and plots, and now he’s opening up about the reaction that followed the teaser’s release. The filmmaker recently spoke with director Curry Barker and admitted he was surprised by just how passionate the fanbase is when it comes to sticking closely to the source material. “I feel great about it,” he explained. “I really like the movie a lot. It's been a wild week since the teaser came out to see the divided reaction online.” He continued: “There's so many people that clearly really want the video game, meaning the characters and story from the video game, and anything different than that is really not welcomed. I didn't realize how passionate some people were about that.” That’s a tricky spot for any filmmaker stepping into a franchise as beloved as Resident Evil . Fans have spent decades with these games, and everyone seems to have their own idea of what the “right” adaptation looks like. Cregger went on to pointe out that sticking too closely to the games probably wouldn’t satisfy everyone either. “If I did that I don't think I'd be creatively fulfilled, and I don't even think they would enjoy it,” he added. “If I just did the story of the games, I think the most diehard fans would be bummed. So I don't know what to do about it.” Honestly, he’s probably right. We’ve already seen multiple attempts at adapting Resident Evil over the years, and every version has sparked arguments from fans for different reasons. Some wanted more horror, some wanted more action, some wanted exact game recreations, and others just wanted something entertaining that captured the creepy atmosphere of the series. I personally love the direction that Cregger is taking the franchise, by opening the world up and telling a completely different story. Cregger’s movie is carving out its own lane while still existing inside the world fans recognize. The director previously explained that the story takes place “on the periphery” of the events of Resident Evil 2 . “You know, where Raccoon City is having its big night, but tell just another story that could be happening in parallel to that.” That setup actually opens the door for something really cool. Instead of retelling another familiar survival story beat-for-beat, the movie can explore what ordinary people are experiencing while chaos erupts across Raccoon City. The film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a courier who ends up trapped in a nightmare during what was supposed to be a routine delivery shift. After being tasked with transporting a medical package, he finds himself crossing paths with horrifying creatures as the city spirals out of control over the course of one long night. Whether fans fully embrace this version of Resident Evil remains to be seen, but Cregger definitely isn’t playing it safe. Love it or hate it, at least it sounds like he’s trying to make something with its own identity instead of just replaying the games scene-for-scene. Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18.

A free demo for Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem has arrived, but it features a major limitation. Save data from the demo does not carry over to the full version, so anyone who likes their experience in the demo and goes on to buy the game will need to start over. The free Requiem demo includes a portion of the game's"early stages." You can use the links below to queue up the Requiem demo on your preferred platform: PS5 Xbox Series X|S PC Switch 2 Requiem released at the end of February this year and has sold more than 7 million copies so far. It ranks as the No. 1 best-selling game in the US so far in 2026. In March, Capcom announced plans to expand the game with new content and a story expansion . Beyond ongoing updates to Requiem, the Resident Evil franchise will expand in September with Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie . It's not based on any specific Resident Evil game, but aims to capture the essence and tone of Capcom's franchise.