Zach Cregger Explains How He Changed Resident Evil Following Test Screenings

The director admitted that he likes the new version of the film significantly more.

Zach Cregger spoke in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the changes he made to Resident Evil after early test screenings. According to the director, viewers liked the film, but felt it contained too much humor for a horror movie. Following this, Cregger cut a significant portion of the jokes:

“I learned that the audience really liked the movie, but they found it too funny. So during the test screenings, I removed as many jokes as possible. After that, it turned out not only that the audience began to enjoy the movie more, but I also started to like it much better myself. In a horror movie, even a little humor works very effectively, and I don’t regret a single joke that I cut from this movie.”

Zach Cregger

The new Resident Evil will tell a standalone story based on the Resident Evil series. The main character, Brian, played by Austin Abrams, is given the task of delivering a container with a donor organ to a Raccoon City hospital, but soon finds himself at the center of a fight for survival on the streets of the city, which is filled with monsters after a T-virus outbreak.

The film is scheduled to premiere on September 18, 2026.

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