The undead are rising again, but this time under the direction of a filmmaker who has quickly become a master of modern horror. At Sony Pictures' CinemaCon presentation, director Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) finally pulled back the curtain on his highly anticipated take on Resident Evil, treating the audience to the first terrifying footage from the film.
Cregger, a self-described "rabid" fan of the Capcom video game series, took the stage to introduce the clip, revealing he's played "a shit ton" of the games in preparation. This new adaptation promises to be a distinct departure from previous film versions, aiming to capture the survival horror essence that made the original games iconic.
A Glimpse Into the Nightmare
The exclusive footage shown to CinemaCon attendees sets a tense, atmospheric tone. It stars Austin Abrams (Euphoria, Weapons) as a medical courier navigating the early chaos of the outbreak. The scene finds him in empty darkness, desperately searching for a phone. He stumbles upon a house, knocks, and receives no answer before venturing inside to use the telephone.
As he leaves a voicemail for his partner, the footage cuts to horrific flashes of the sinister entities he's up against, teasing the visceral and frightening approach Cregger is bringing to Raccoon City. The focus is firmly on building dread, a shift from the more action-oriented previous film adaptations.
A New Story for a Beloved Universe
This film will tell an original story within the Resident Evil world, not directly adapting a specific game's plot. While classic characters like Leon S. Kennedy or Jill Valentine won't appear, the film seeks to harness the core experience fans love. Producer Roy Lee has described it as a "roller coaster ride of nonstop action" that replicates the panic of trying to survive in a city forever scarred by the t-Virus.
Cregger co-wrote the script with Shay Hatten, and the cast joining Abrams includes Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson. The project marks Cregger's first foray into adapting a massive pre-existing franchise, following his back-to-back horror hits.
The reveal comes during a banner year for the Resident Evil brand, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The recent video game release, Resident Evil: Requiem, has been a massive success, selling millions of copies and earning critical praise. This cinematic revival aims to continue that momentum.
For more major reveals from the Las Vegas convention, check out our coverage of the first action-packed footage for the Spider-Verse finale and the tense courtroom showdown in Social Reckoning.
Resident Evil shambles into theaters on September 18, 2026. If the first footage is any indication, Cregger is building a nightmare worthy of the game's terrifying legacy. For fans of the genre, this is shaping up to be a must-see event, potentially joining the ranks of the best zombie movies that truly understand how to scare an audience.
