Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil has just broken a record for the franchise. Early reviews have put the latest adaptation of the Capcom game at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is very new for the franchise. The franchise has only received rotten critical scores since 2002’s Resident Evil, which received 36%.
Instead of a faithful adaptation, Cregger chose to tell an original story set in the same universe as the video games. While he has received some hate from hardcore fans of the video game, the positive responses may indicate that it will be widely accepted and could be a success story for the franchise.
Zach Cregger Continues his Hot Streak after Weapons and Barbarian
Zach Cregger | Credits: YouTube/LRM Online
Zach Cregger has become one of the leading names in horror after he delivered Barbarian and Weapons, both of which received rave reviews and were box office successes. Weapons even won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, with Amy Madigan receiving the award. Resident Evil is his first foray into franchise filmmaking.
After the success of his previous two originals, there were some doubts about how he would tackle a big franchise like Resident Evil. On top of that, his decision to honor the gameplay experience more than the lore rubbed some fans the wrong way. Cregger has been clear about his reboot being an original story set in the same universe.
Set during the events of Resident Evil 2, the 2026 film is updated to the modern era and follows a medical courier who has to deliver a package in Raccoon City. After the Paul WS Anderson films, the franchise was rebooted once in 2021 with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which was a more faithful adaptation.
However, the film was a commercial failure, earning only $42 million against a $25 million budget (via The Numbers). It also received 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, and all plans for a sequel were killed. Zach Cregger’s reboot is currently showing some hope for the franchise, with a 96% rating. The film is set to release on September 18, 2026.
Cregger’s Decision To Make an Original Resident Evil Story Saved the Franchise
Austin Abrams in Resident Evil | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing
Video game adaptations are tough. There are dedicated fandoms to these games, and unlike comics, the experience while playing is far more visceral. No movie can come close to the personal gameplay experience. Resident Evil, for the longest time, did not even adapt the lore of the games. However, that is not such a bad idea.
Zach Cregger did not choose to adapt the video game directly, but instead created an original story set in the same timeline as the second game. This allowed the film to give enough Easter Eggs for the hardcore fans while also giving a unique experience to all kinds of audiences. And the early reviews prove that this method worked.
Cregger mentioned in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was aware that different kinds of fans liked the gameplay and the lore. While he categorized himself as someone who liked the experience, he also acknowledged that fans who liked the lore and the legacy characters would feel disappointed with the movie.
I have to make the best version of this movie that I’m capable of making and devote myself entirely to it. I cannot be worried about whether I am pleasing enough to every spectrum of fandom. If I tried to please everybody, I’d end up pleasing nobody. That much is obvious.
Fans have seen even a faithful adaptation, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, fail at the box office and critically. Zach Cregger’s decision to make an original story set in the same universe might just have saved the franchise from yet another loss.
Are you excited for Resident Evil? Comment below.
Resident Evil is releasing in cinemas on September 19, 2026.
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