Zach Cregger's Resident Evil hits theaters this Friday (it opens in some locations later tonight), and there have been conflicting reports from early test screenings about whether the movie will feature a post-credits scene.
Though we're not going to go into much detail, there will be some mild spoilers from this point on.
Somewhat surprisingly, the reboot does not include a stinger, but it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger that leaves the door open for a sequel (we'll share a detailed breakdown soon) should Sony Pictures decide to keep the franchise going.
The ending also features a very recognizable nod to the games.
Resident Evil looks set for an $80 million opening at the worldwide box office, and with highly positive reviews (it's currently sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes), there's every chance that the $75M budgeted movie will be successful enough to warrant a follow-up.
The question is, would Cregger return to direct?
The filmmaker could be persuaded to helm a sequel, but the backlash he's received from some fans may factor into his decision, and he did indicate that he might be done with franchises after this movie during a recent interview with Deadline.
"I have never been approached by another franchise. Maybe I have, but it would never get to me because I have been very clear that I’m not doing that. I’m doing this, and that’s it for me," Cregger said. "So I’m not going to go tackle any other franchises — just because I’m a writer, and I want to write whatever I want to write. I don’t want to write something where I have to make sure I’m tagging different data points to satisfy X. I just want to satisfy me."
"And the only reason that I think Resident Evil is OK for me to do is because I’m enthusiastic about the games and I like the story that I thought of with the games and I’m making it for me. I think this movie is cool, and I hope it checks the fan boxes because I’m a fan and I’m checking my boxes. I’m making the Resident Evil movie that I wish existed, so I can do that with a clean heart and a clear conscience and not feel like I’m getting f**ked by some weird industry thing."
You can check out our review here.
From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser. Cregger directs from a screenplay he wrote with Shay Hatten, and producers include Robert Kulzer, Zach Cregger, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Carter Swan, and Asad Qizilbash. The executive producers are Oliver Berben, Victor Hadida, Richard Wright, and Robert Bernacci.
Do you plan on seeing this one on the big screen?