Resident Evil Movie Director Says Fans ‘Will Feel Seen’ After Seeing Zach Cregger’s Reboot

The long-awaited Resident Evil movie reboot has finally arrived in theaters, helmed by one of today’s most acclaimed horror filmmakers, Zach Cregger, who previously earned critical praise for his films Barbarian and Weapons. The film is off to a strong start: IGN awarded it 8 out of 10, it holds roughly 90 percent on both the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ and audiences’ scores, and it appears poised to succeed at the box office.

To discuss the divided fan response that preceded its release, how Cregger and his team conjured a genuine “video game feel,” and how star Austin Abrams nearly was killed by a 150-pound bag of blood during production, IGN’s Tom Jorgensen recently sat down with both. The full conversation is available to watch above or read in full below.

A Director Acknowledges the Resistance

Cregger did not shy away from acknowledging that some fans remained skeptical about his vision for the franchise, particularly those who had been waiting years for a different story. He admitted he had initially underestimated how invested players were with certain characters.

“I think I was naive when I… I thought that fans of these games like me would be thrilled that somebody was coming along and turning Resident Evil into a survival horror movie. And I was like, ‘That’s great.’ I did not really appreciate the sentiment of ‘We’ve been waiting forever for Leon’s story.’ And I appreciate that. And I’m sorry that that’s not the story that I’m bringing here.”

Zach Cregger

The director explained that his own frustration with the earlier films stemmed from their failure to resemble the games he loved, which gave him empathy for fans holding a similar view. His hope is that viewers set aside their skepticism and recognize the genuine affection embedded in the film.

“My only hope is that they will see the movie regardless of their skepticism or their disappointment… and that they will feel seen when they do watch the movie and they will recognize all of the love for the games that is in this movie. This is not just me telling a story and slapping Resident Evil on it so I can get a budget. This is me telling a Resident Evil story.”

Zach Cregger

Crafting the Video Game Feel

When asked how he approached translating the active experience of playing a video game into the passive act of watching a film, Cregger pointed to camera work as the foundation. He deliberately rooted the visual language in the third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective with a wide lens that defines the games.

The director also drew on the pacing and dread characteristic of survival horror, along with familiar ingredients such as the t-Virus and the Umbrella Corporation. He even mirrored the weapon progression found in the games, where players start with a pistol before graduating to a shotgun and then an MP5, alongside increasingly dangerous enemies.

“We’re moving around and we’re doing a lot of things in one take. So getting that choreography right, but also doing it in a way that feels fresh and dynamic, was just another aspect to it that was tricky to do.”

Austin Abrams

Cregger insisted he did not need his camera department to have played the games, taking personal responsibility for how everything moved on screen. He credited camera operator James, who had recently worked lugging a large IMAX camera on The Odyssey, with feeling liberated working with a smaller, more agile rig.

“I think he felt really liberated. And he’s played video games because most people in our age group and younger have grown up on video games. So we all fundamentally understand the visual language of these games.”

Zach Cregger

On Zombies, Characters, and Momentum

Cregger also addressed his earlier remark that only two or three scenes lean into standard zombies. He clarified that he may have misspoken, noting the t-Virus offers far more creative possibilities than mindless undead. Abrams, playing Bryan, an original medical courier character, said starting from scratch allowed the story to go in unexpected directions.

The actor revealed that rather than drawing on horror films, he built his performance by oscillating between iconic cinematic everymen: Marty McFly, Kevin McCallister, and John McClane. Cregger described the film’s greatest challenge as sustaining relentless tension throughout its runtime without relying on the quieter story-building moments present in his earlier work.

“Let’s floor it and let’s never stop flooring it. And that was hard. Hard on you.”

Zach Cregger

Looking Ahead

Beyond the creative process, the conversation turned to lighter moments, including Abrams being nearly struck by a 150-pound bag of blood during a rooftop scene and each man recalling their most terrifying video game experiences. Cregger cited Resident Evil 8 played in VR as his most frightening encounter.

As audiences continue to weigh whether the reboot has honored its source material, one thing is clear: Cregger poured his genuine love for the franchise into every frame, and he believes viewers will feel that when they finally see it on screen.