According to a report published by The Hollywood Reporter, a Resident Evil reboot film is in development, intended to serve as a fresh start for the cinematic franchise and return to the horror roots of the original game, originally released in 1996.
The report reveals that the film will be directed by Zach Cregger, the actor and filmmaker behind the 2022 horror movie Barbarian. The screenplay will be handled by Shay Hatten, known for his work on John Wick: Chapter 4 and Army of the Dead. Additionally, the production will be a collaboration between Constantin Film, the company that has held the cinematic rights to Resident Evil since the 1990s, and PlayStation Productions, a studio established in 2019 to adapt Sony’s major gaming IPs into films and TV shows.
The previous Resident Evil film series consisted of six movies released between 2002 and 2016, grossing a total of $1.2 billion. Although loosely based on the stories and characters from the video games, the films focused on an original character named Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, and leaned heavily toward action-oriented storytelling.
Following the end of that series, Constantin Film attempted to reboot the franchise with limited success. This included a Netflix TV series and the 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Sources in the Hollywood Reporter claim that Zach Cregger’s vision for the new film will embrace the horror tone of the original games and stay much closer to their narrative and atmosphere. If confirmed, this direction could excite long-time fans of the franchise.
