Zach Cregger is not interested in becoming a franchise director. Speaking to press ahead of Resident Evil's September 18 opening, the Barbarian and Weapons filmmaker was unambiguous about what comes next. "I'm not doing that. I'm doing this, and that's it for me," he told Movieweb.
His stance isn't rooted in indifference. Resident Evil, he explained, was always a genuine exception. He described the production as "the Resident Evil movie that I wish existed" and said he accepted the project specifically because of his enthusiasm for the source material. Co-written with Shay Hatten, the $80 million Sony Pictures film follows Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, caught in a viral outbreak at Raccoon City. Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Kali Reis co-star. The film premieres at Fantastic Fest on September 17 before wide release the following day.
The wider principle is clear: original work is the priority. "I just want to satisfy me," Cregger said. "I don't want to write something where I have to make sure I'm tagging different data points to satisfy X."
The Resident Evil universe itself is a softer limit. According to Screen Rant, Cregger said he already has "thoughts of like what could happen going forward," though no sequel is in development. "Anything can happen," he added. Screen Rant reported a projected opening weekend between $35 million and $50 million, which would represent the franchise's biggest domestic debut.
