Zach Cregger, known for his breakthrough horror film Barbarian and his comedic roots with The Whitest Kids U’ Know, is set to bring Capcom’s classic survival-horror franchise Resident Evil back to the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a fierce bidding war is underway among four major studios—reportedly including Netflix and Warner Bros.—to secure distribution rights for Cregger’s reboot.
Cregger will both write and direct the film, which marks the second cinematic reboot of Resident Evil. The first series of six films, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, took significant liberties with the story but grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. A subsequent reboot titled Welcome to Raccoon City, released in 2021 by director Johannes Roberts, attempted a more faithful adaptation of the games but did not reach the same critical or commercial heights as the franchise’s best-selling video games.
Constantin Film, the studio behind previous Resident Evil films, will again produce the new adaptation alongside PlayStation Productions. Established in 2019, PlayStation Productions focuses on bringing popular video game titles to screens, having already overseen projects like Uncharted (starring Tom Holland) and the forthcoming Gran Turismo film. Upcoming titles from the company include adaptations of Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone, Gravity Rush, and more.
Industry insiders say Cregger’s reboot has potential to blend the intense horror and puzzle-solving elements fans love about the games with a fresh cinematic vision. Cregger’s next project, Weapons, reportedly tested extremely well in preview screenings, fueling anticipation for what he can accomplish with this iconic franchise.
gfpods.com 
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