Exclusive: How The New RESIDENT EVIL Movie Fits In With The Games

Zach Cregger, the director behind Barbarian and this year’s smash horror hit Weapons, is getting ready to take the leap into franchise filmmaking. Cregger’s next project is a big screen reboot of Resident Evil, based on the beloved Capcom video game series of the same name. We now have a much better idea of how Cregger’s new movie will exist within the larger universe. While it won’t be adapting any of the games, specifically, it will share a universe with them. 

See also: Why Doesn’t Zach Cregger’s BARBARIAN Have A Blu-Ray Release?

I recently had the good fortune of speaking with Cregger in honor of the home video release of Weapons, which is available on Digital platforms now. The Blu-ray, DVD and 4K release is set for October 14. During the conversation, I asked for some clarification regarding his Resident Evil movie, which recently added Paul Walter Hauser (The Naked Gun) to its cast, alongside Austin Abrams, who worked with Cregger on Weapons. 

I specifically asked Cregger if his movie is a separate story that exists in the universe alongside the games. “Bullseye. Yeah,” Cregger said. Elaborating on his take on the material, the filmmaker explained how he’s approaching the story, which exists shoulder to shoulder with the much-beloved Resident Evil 2. Just don’t expect to see Leon S. Kennedy at the center of it all. 

“I’m not telling Leon’s story. You know what I mean? I’m not using any of the characters from the games. I’m telling my story that exists in the world of