The Resident Evil franchise may be gearing up for a cinematic resurrection, and this time, the undead could come with a fresh, terrifying twist. According to The Hollywood Reporter, multiple studios are locked in a bidding war to secure the rights to a film reboot of the beloved horror gaming series. But the buzz isn’t just about Resident Evil — it’s about who’s driving this reboot: Barbarian director Zach Cregger.
As The A.V. Club reports, Cregger — who started his career as a founding member of the sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U’ Know — has seen a meteoric rise in Hollywood, drawing comparisons to Jordan Peele. Like Peele, Cregger transitioned from comedy to horror, and it’s paying off in spades. His 2022 horror film Barbarian was a breakout hit, raking in nearly 10 times its modest budget and earning acclaim for its inventive storytelling and jaw-dropping twists. With another horror project, Weapons, already generating buzz ahead of its release, Cregger’s name has become synonymous with tension-filled, creative horror.
The Resident Evil film franchise, based on Capcom’s iconic survival horror games, has had a mixed legacy. Paul W.S. Anderson helmed six films between 2002 and 2017 starring Milla Jovovich. While the series delivered consistent box office success thanks to low budgets and action-packed spectacle, it never quite captured the essence of true horror that made the games legendary. Johannes Roberts attempted a more faithful adaptation with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City in 2021, but it failed to find its footing, partly due to the lingering effects of the pandemic on theaters.
With Cregger at the helm, however, the reboot could take the franchise in an entirely new direction. Known for his ability to craft nerve-wracking tension and shocking visuals, Cregger might be exactly what Resident Evil needs to finally deliver a film worthy of its terrifying source material. Unlike previous iterations, which leaned heavily into action, Cregger could bring the survival horror elements of the games to life, delivering an experience that’s as unnerving as it is thrilling.
For fans like me, people who love both Resident Evil and modern horror, the prospect of Cregger stepping into Capcom’s nightmarish world is intriguing. Will he bring the same inventiveness that made Barbarian such a standout? If the ongoing studio bidding war is any indication, Hollywood seems confident he will. For now, fans can only wait and see what horrors Cregger has in store for the iconic franchise.
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