Zach Cregger Confirms He Never Watched a Resident Evil Movie Before Directing One

Zach Cregger entered Raccoon City carrying considerable expectations after proving his horror credentials with Barbarian and Weapons. His new Resident Evil movie also had nearly 25 years of live-action history behind it, including six installments starring Milla Jovovich and the more game-faithful Welcome to Raccoon City. It also happens to be the highest rated attempt at adapting the franchise thus far, and not by a small margin.

The latest adaptation ultimately takes a different route from every movie that came before it. Cregger follows medical courier Bryan (Austin Abrams) into an original nightmare unfolding alongside the events of Resident Evil 2, recreating the escalating desperation of playing the games without handing the story to Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, or another established character.

Now, Cregger has revealed that those creative differences were not informed by a careful examination of the franchise's previous adaptations. In a new interview, the director admitted that he has never watched a Resident Evil movie. When asked whether his movie should be considered a sequel, prequel, or another kind of franchise expansion, Cregger responded, "I couldn't really say. I've never seen one."

Zach Cregger Wanted 'Resident Evil' To Feel Like Playing the Games

Cregger may have skipped the movies, but that doesn't mean he's unfamiliar with the franchise. He has a known love for the Resident Evil games, and their influence is felt throughout his movie. Cregger designed Bryan's arc through the movie to resemble a 90-minute play session, repeatedly moving the vulnerable protagonist into new environments where he must explore, collect whatever resources remain, and survive the next threat. This time, though, the protagonist has to do it without the training normally enjoyed by heroes like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine. Although Cregger's original protagonist and story initially concerned fans expecting another direct adaptation, he rejected the idea that he merely attached the Resident Evil name to an unrelated script. In the same interview, he maintains that the project "was conceived to be a Resident Evil story," arguing that the connection becomes undeniable once audiences see the finished movie.

That approach offers an important explanation for why the new adaptation feels more faithful to Resident Evil than movies filled with recognizable characters and locations. Cregger did not need to watch the previous movies because he was never attempting to continue or correct them, instead returning directly to the games to capture the escalating panic of entering an unfamiliar room with limited ammunition and absolutely no idea what might be waiting inside.

Resident Evil is now playing in theaters.