Resident Evil is coming back to theaters soon. The zombie-centric video game series is no stranger to the big screen. It received its first theatrical adaptation in 2002 with Resident Evil, which spawned a relatively successful franchise. The IP was then rebooted with 2021's Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Despite being a somewhat faithful adaptation of its source material—merging the two first Resident Evil chapters into one story—the film was ultimately a financial and critical disappointment.
The property is now being handled by Zach Cregger. The director, known for critically acclaimed horror films like Barbarian and Weapons, has crafted an original plot for the project. However, the story will still take audiences to Raccoon City, one of the games' most recognizable locations. Now, we have an idea of what the zombie universe will look like under Cregger's creative eye.
On TikTok, user languagegames posted a BTS video, reportedly from the film's set in Prague, showing a terrifying horde of zombies chasing an individual in Raccoon City:
Set videos don't usually do justice to what will be shown on screen. This is particularly true for horror films, as BTS footage takes away from the controlled somber ambience that makes a scene scary. Despite the limitations of a behind-the-scenes look, though, this video perfectly captures the overwhelming feeling of witnessing zombies on the hunt.
Given how intimidating they seem just in this video, it's exciting to imagine the horrors that the film has in store for audiences. Such a prospect is even more enticing due to Cregger's horror sensibilities.
Aside from the BTS video, The Prague Reporter also shared several pictures from the set, which offer a close look at the film's snowy Raccoon City.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Zach Cregger revealed that, though his project tells an original story, it still lives within the terrifying confines of the Resident Evil universe: "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."
The director also emphasized the fact that he is sticking close to the games during an interview with Double Toasted (at around the 25:00 mark):
"All I can say is that it is true to the experience of the games. It takes place in the world of the games, but most importantly, the journey you'll have as a viewer of watching this movie is going to be similar to the journey you have as a player when you play these games. And what that means is it follows one protagonist from point A to point B as they just descend deeper and deeper and deeper into hell."
Furthermore, speaking to Inverse, Cregger stated that, though he's staying true to the franchise's lore, he isn't adapting the stories of the main characters in the games, as those have already been explored:
"Let me say this: This is not breaking the rules of the games. I am the biggest worshiper of the games, so I’m telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games. [...] It is obedient to the lore of the games, it's just a different story. I'm not going to tell Leon's story, because Leon's story is told in the games. [Fans] already have that."
Resident Evil stars Austin Abrams (Euphoria, Weapons), Paul Walter Houser (I, Tonya, The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Zach Cherry (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country).
Resident Evil is scheduled for release on September 18, 2026.
What did you think about this Resident Evil set video? Are you excited about the film? Drop your thoughts in the comments!