Zach Cregger, director of ‘Resident Evil,’ explains what it means to stay true to the games: “I want to be in that third-person view a lot”

Since the release of its first trailer, Zach Cregger’s new adaptation of ‘Resident Evil’ has divided fans of the series. Although the filmmaker’s reputation—he directed the award-winning ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Weapons’—gives cause for optimism, many fans of the Capcom franchise feel that what’s been shown strays too far from what they’d expect. Now, the director has spoken out again to explain what he really means by a “faithful adaptation” of the video games.

The director of the new ‘Resident Evil’ confirms that it will be “faithful” to the games, but not in the way fans expect

The numerous live-action adaptations of ‘Resident Evil’ have never quite won over the series’ most die-hard fans. From the Paul W. S. Anderson era to the most recent ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,’ one of the most common criticisms has been their lack of fidelity to the original material—whether by altering characters, mixing events from different installments, or creating entirely new stories. Judging by what’s been shown so far, Zach Cregger’s new film—set to hit theaters in September 2026—seems to be following a similar path, once again opting for a loose reinterpretation of the zombie universe created by Capcom.

However, the director maintains that his idea of “fidelity” takes a very different path. In a recent interview, Cregger explained that his priority is not to reproduce the video games’ most iconic scenes shot for shot or to adhere to the chronology of their events strictly, but rather to bring to the big screen the sensations experienced while playing them. To achieve this, the team has employed a cinematographic style inspired by the third-person perspective of modern installments, with camera movements that orbit around Bryan (Austin Abrams), the protagonist, aiming to make the viewer feel a level of immersion similar to what they experience when holding the controller in their hands.

However, this approach continues to spark intense debate among fans of Capcom’s games. Many believe that, if the story, the characters, and much of the on-screen action have so little to do with the games, perhaps the project should have been presented as an original film rather than using the ‘Resident Evil’ name. In fact, Cregger himself admitted in a previous interview that he wanted to make this movie at all costs, regardless of whether he secured the rights to the franchise. This statement has reinforced the perception among those who believe that the ‘Resident Evil’ name serves more as a mere marketing gimmick than as a true source of thematic and narrative inspiration.

Ultimately, the final verdict from both critics and audiences won’t be in until September 18, when the film hits theaters.

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