Zach Cherry and Kali Reis join Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil as the reboot sharpens its cast

Sony’s new Resident Evil is quietly turning into one of 2026’s most intriguing horror plays. Zach Cregger, fresh off the one-two punch of Barbarian and Weapons, is steering a theatrical reboot that aims to feel like playing the classic Capcom games without rehashing their exact plots. The cast just leveled up again with Severance standout Zach Cherry and True Detective co-star Kali Reis joining the ensemble, alongside comedian Johnno Wilson.

Cregger’s take centers on a hapless courier and a suspicious package headed to a remote hospital as mutated threats, corporate secrets, and very bad science close in. Austin Abrams is leading the film, carrying over the grounded intensity he showed in Weapons. Cherry is set to play a hospital scientist, Reis is an ex-military character originally written male, and Wilson’s role is under wraps. The mix hints at a story that values desperation, problem-solving, and that familiar creeping dread fans associate with locked doors and dwindling resources.

Production is slated to start in mid-October in Prague, a city that can double as sterile labs, maze-like corridors, and rain-slicked streets in a single shooting day. The release date is set for September 18, 2026, which stakes out early fall for a crowd-friendly horror run.

Behind the camera, Cregger co-wrote the script with Shay Hatten, whose credits include John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. The producing bench is stacked: Constantin Film is producing and co-financing, with Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, and Miri Yoon producing alongside PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan. Oliver Berben and Victor Hadida executive produce, and Sony’s TriStar label is overseeing through president Nicole Brown.

If you follow Resident Evil across games and film, the signals are clear. Cregger has said he wants to honor the gameplay experience rather than retell a greatest-hits story beat by beat. That lines up with the casting of original characters and the focus on one poor soul pushed deeper into a nightmare. It also avoids the continuity traps that come with icons like Leon and Jill, while still letting the movie live in the same rules-heavy world fans know.