Weapons Director Zach Cregger Promises an Original Resident Evil That Keeps the Games Intact — But Leon Kennedy Is the Wild Card
Hard no on stealing Leon for an original story—the creator says it’s presumptuous.
When Zach Cregger got tapped to make a Resident Evil movie, I felt two things at once: pumped and a little twitchy. The guy behind Barbarian and the upcoming Weapons has been carving out this very specific lane of off-kilter horror — dark comedy, timelines that hop around, and a general love of messing with audience expectations. Perfect for original horror. For a legacy video-game franchise with established vibes? Tricky. So is he dialing it back for Resident Evil? Based on what he just told EW, not really. He sounds like he is leaning into his Zach-ness, hard.
So what is this thing, exactly?
Cregger says the film is set squarely in the Resident Evil world, but the story itself is brand new — and very him.
"It's an entirely original story. When you watch it, you'll be like, 'This is very Zach.' It's just that it takes place in the Resident Evil world. I don't think fans of the games are gonna be bummed."
He also admitted he can't share much more yet. Translation: he's being intentionally vague and saving the specifics for later.
About those fan-favorite characters
If you were hoping to see Leon S. Kennedy swoop in, don't hold your breath. Cregger pretty clearly hinted the usual headliners aren't front and center here.
"I'm not gonna steal Leon and put him in an original story. I think that would be presumptuous."
He added that he respects the games enough to tell a Resident Evil story that fits the canon and keeps what fans love about the franchise intact. That's where it gets a little inside baseball: no Leon (and presumably other perennial favorites) but still preserving the stuff fans love. You could read that as a contradiction — characters like Leon are, in fact, things people love. Personally, I've said for a while the series needs to rotate the cast a bit and stop relying on the same faces every time, so I don't mind this approach. But I get why some folks might squint at it.
The tightrope he says he's walking
Cregger framed the movie as a way to stay obsessed with original ideas without breaking the IP he's working in.
"I think that when you see it, you'll understand how I can be obsessed with original ideas and still make a movie that is an IP-based thing. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense now, but I hope that it will later."
That sounds like code for: expect the tone, structure, and nasty little surprises of Barbarian, just filtered through Raccoon City rules.
Where this leaves us
- Cregger is making a Resident Evil movie that's an entirely original story set in canon.
- He's not using Leon (or likely other marquee characters) because he doesn't want to yank them into a brand-new plot.
- The goal is to honor the games while still making something unmistakably his — think unconventional structure, dark humor, and a willingness to zig where most adaptations zag.
Bottom line: can a very Zach Cregger horror movie also be a great Resident Evil movie? That's the bet. We'll find out when we actually see footage. Until then, it's spooky season — kill the lights, spark a pumpkin candle, and raid our best-horror-right-now list if you need something to tide you over.