‘Resident Evil’ Trailer: Austin Abrams Has the Worst Night of His Life in Zach Cregger’s Hellish Riff on the Video Game

Zach Cregger is two entries into his career as a feature film director, and he hasn’t missed yet. With his upcoming third film “Resident Evil,” he’s hoping to repeat the success of “Barbarian” and “Weapons” and deliver another breakout hit.

One of the most highly anticipated blockbusters on the fall calendar, “Resident Evil” is far from the first cinematic take on the Capcom survival horror games. Paul W.S. Anderson previously directed six “Resident Evil” films from 2002 through 2016, Johannes Roberts directed the 2021 reboot “Welcome to Raccoon City,” and there have been multiple animated films and a 2022 live-action Netflix series. But none have boasted the filmmaking pedigree of Cregger, who is currently one of Hollywood’s most in-demand directors.

Rather than remake the previous films or adapt the video games directly, Cregger has long claimed that his take on the material would be an original story that exists within the “Resident Evil” universe and aims to emulate the feeling of playing the games. He has cited “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Evil Dead II” as inspirations, suggesting that the film could play out as a single, monster-filled sprint.

The film’s protagonist is “Weapons” star Austin Abrams, who plays a medical courier tasked with making a dangerous after-hours delivery. Other stars include Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser. The script was co-written by Cregger and Shay Hatten.

After “Resident Evil,” there should be no shortage of Cregger projects to keep his fans satiated. In addition to his “Weapons” prequel starring Amy Madigan as a younger Aunt Gladys and his Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi thriller “The Flood” (which New Line has currently slated for a summer 2028 release date), Cregger recently signed on to co-write and produce a Warner Bros. horror movie based on the viral horror meme “Siren Head” that the studio likely hopes could be the next “Backrooms.”

And that’s all without considering potential “Resident Evil” sequels, which one imagines could be in the works if the film performs the way Sony expects it to.

Sony will release “Resident Evil” in theaters on Friday, September 18. Watch the trailer below.