The Resident Evil reboot from director Zack Cregger will present a completely new story, set on the night of the fall of Raccoon City, writes xrust. The main role will be played by Austin Abrams, who plays an ordinary courier who finds himself in the midst of a nightmare. The premiere is scheduled for September 18, 2026.
- A new look at Raccoon City and an original plot class=»notranslate»>__GTAG8__ Director Zach Cregger, known for horror films Barbarian and Weapons, stated that his version of Resident Evil will not repeat previous films and will not be a literal adaptation of the games. He creates an original story, unfolding parallel to the events of Resident Evil 2, but with a new hero and a different perspective. According to IMDb and Polygon, the film will follow Brian, a medical courier who ends up in Raccoon City as a viral outbreak begins. An ordinary guy with no combat training is forced to go through a night filled with mutants, panic and destruction. Cregger emphasizes that he wanted to convey the feeling of the game, and not retell its plot. He calls Brian «an avatar of the average player» who gets scared, makes mistakes, misses and tries to survive the chaos. Who is Austin Abrams — the new hero of the franchise Austin Abrams is an American actor, known for the TV series Euphoria , The Walking Dead and the film Chemical Hearts. He often plays emotionally complex, vulnerable characters, and Cregger said it was this «humanity» that made him the perfect choice to play Brian. Abrams must show a hero who is not a super soldier but an ordinary person caught in a death trap. This sharply distinguishes the film from previous film adaptations, where the main roles were occupied by special forces soldiers or genetically enhanced characters. What is known about the film: release date, style and atmosphere According to Sony Pictures and GameSpot, the premiere is set for September 18, 2026 . The film will be distributed by Columbia Pictures and will be the second reboot of the franchise after Welcome to Raccoon City (2021). Cregger promises: chronological plot without time jumps , class=»notranslate»>__GTAG5__ survival-horror atmosphere , minimum CGI and maximum practical effects , strong emphasis on survival and limited resources , references to games , including green grass, first aid kits and the iconic save machine. The first teaser shown at CinemaCon caused controversy among fans due to the snow in Raccoon City and the appearance of a smartphone, which does not correspond to the 1998 canon. However, Cregger explained that he allows for slight time shifts for the sake of drama. Expert: “This is the most daring approach to Resident Evil in recent years” Film critic Darrin Bonthuis of GameSpot notes that the new film looks «significantly darker and more realistic» than previous adaptations: «Cregger creates a story that respects the rules of the games, but is not afraid to go its own way. This is not just another action movie—it’s a return to survival horror.” According to him, relying on an “ordinary hero” can make the film closer to the spirit of the first parts of the series. Background: how the franchise came to a new restart Resident Evil filmography includes: six films by Poul Anderson (2002–2016), restart Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), canceled Netflix series (2022). After the failure Welcome to Raccoon City Constantin Film started developing a new project. In 2024, Sony chose Zach Cregger as director, and filming began in Prague in 2025. The new film will be the eighth part of the franchise and the first created in partnership with PlayStation Productions. By news feeds: IMDb News: https://www.imdb.com Polygon: https://www.polygon.com GameSpot: https://www.gamespot.com ScreenRant: https://screenrant.com Xrust A new nightmare has appeared in the Resident Evil reboot in Raccoon City
- Who is Austin Abrams — the new hero of the franchise
- What is known about the film: release date, style and atmosphere
- Background: how the franchise came to a new restart
A new look at Raccoon City and an original plot class=»notranslate»>__GTAG8__
Director Zach Cregger, known for horror films Barbarian and Weapons , stated that his version of Resident Evil will not repeat previous films and will not be a literal adaptation of the games. He creates an original story , unfolding parallel to the events of Resident Evil 2 , but with a new hero and a different perspective.
According to IMDb and Polygon, the film will follow Brian , a medical courier who ends up in Raccoon City as a viral outbreak begins. An ordinary guy with no combat training is forced to go through a night filled with mutants, panic and destruction.
Cregger emphasizes that he wanted to convey the feeling of the game , and not retell its plot. He calls Brian «an avatar of the average player» who gets scared, makes mistakes, misses and tries to survive the chaos.
Who is Austin Abrams — the new hero of the franchise
Austin Abrams is an American actor, known for the TV series Euphoria , The Walking Dead and the film Chemical Hearts . He often plays emotionally complex, vulnerable characters, and Cregger said it was this «humanity» that made him the perfect choice to play Brian.
Abrams must show a hero who is not a super soldier but an ordinary person caught in a death trap. This sharply distinguishes the film from previous film adaptations, where the main roles were occupied by special forces soldiers or genetically enhanced characters.
What is known about the film: release date, style and atmosphere
According to Sony Pictures and GameSpot, the premiere is set for September 18, 2026 . The film will be distributed by Columbia Pictures and will be the second reboot of the franchise after Welcome to Raccoon City (2021).
Cregger promises:
- chronological plot without time jumps ,
- minimum CGI and maximum practical effects ,
- strong emphasis on survival and limited resources ,
- references to games , including green grass, first aid kits and the iconic save machine.
class=»notranslate»>__GTAG5__ survival-horror atmosphere ,
The first teaser shown at CinemaCon caused controversy among fans due to the snow in Raccoon City and the appearance of a smartphone, which does not correspond to the 1998 canon. However, Cregger explained that he allows for slight time shifts for the sake of drama.
Expert: “This is the most daring approach to Resident Evil in recent years”
Film critic Darrin Bonthuis of GameSpot notes that the new film looks «significantly darker and more realistic» than previous adaptations: «Cregger creates a story that respects the rules of the games, but is not afraid to go its own way. This is not just another action movie—it’s a return to survival horror.”
According to him, relying on an “ordinary hero” can make the film closer to the spirit of the first parts of the series.
Background: how the franchise came to a new restart
Resident Evil filmography includes:
- six films by Poul Anderson (2002–2016),
- restart Welcome to Raccoon City (2021),
- canceled Netflix series (2022).
After the failure Welcome to Raccoon City Constantin Film started developing a new project. In 2024, Sony chose Zach Cregger as director, and filming began in Prague in 2025.
The new film will be the eighth part of the franchise and the first created in partnership with PlayStation Productions.
By news feeds:
- IMDb News: https://www.imdb.com
- Polygon: https://www.polygon.com
- GameSpot: https://www.gamespot.com
- ScreenRant: https://screenrant.com
Xrust A new nightmare has appeared in the Resident Evil reboot in Raccoon City
