Zach Creggers’ Resident Evil has just dropped a brand-new trailer for the film, offering a fresh look at the Weapons director’s take on the beloved game franchise. You can check out the thrilling trailer below, as well as the latest synopsis.

From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. 

Easter Eggs

As Resident Evil celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, there is a lot of lore and iconic imagery, and while this film seems to be a fresh take with new characters and its own canon, it’s still unmistakably Resident Evil. 

Loot!

Bryan desperately looking for the familiar ammunition after finding a shotgun is a perfect encapsulation of the unmistakable survival horror gameplay loop. Zach Cregger spoke about adapting the typical weapon progression: “We start with a pistol, we graduate to a shotgun, we graduate to an MP5″. That pistol might be retrieved from the familiar case next to the typewriter; often cases like this reward players with valuable upgrades. 

Shotgun Trap

Fans of the very first Resident Evil will remember the iconic shotgun trap. A shotgun mounted on a wall to be replaced with a broken one, lest you become a “Jill Sandwich”. This same setup also made an appearance in the series reboot, Resident Evil Biohazard. Though the farmhouse may not be quite as rigged as Spencer Mansion or the Baker household. 

Save point

There’s not much more iconic for RE fans than that typewriter, this time accompanied by a sinister typing background noise rather than the charming piano music of the games. The contrast of the relief a player feels seeing one of these, but the uselessness it serves for Bryan is a fun subversion.

A Familiar Start

Fans familiar with the modern games might note a similar start to this story. Bryan unwittingly crashing into a ragged, zombie woman when distracted echoes Resident Evil 2 Remake, which opened the same way with a truck driver who later crashed into Raccoon City.

Another Baby Monster

Players of Resident Evil Village will surely remember the game’s most memorable and horrifying level. A chase between Ethan Winters and a grotesque giant monster that resembles, and sounds like, a babbling infant. It’s unclear in the game if the creature is real or a hallucinated manifestation of Ethan’s inner turmoil. But here, even Raccoon City General’s nursery wasn’t safe from the horrors Umbrella unleashed.

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil seems to have chosen to focus on capturing the experience of playing Resident Evil rather than any specific story. This focus on replicating the exploration, fear and resource management of the games should bring players and non-players alike into a classic RE experience. 

From Columbia Pictures and Constantin Film, in association with TriStar Pictures, Resident Evil hits theatres September 18, 2026. Directed by: Zach Cregger Written by: Zach Cregger & Shay Hatten Produced by: Robert Kulzer Zach Cregger Roy Lee Miri Yoon Carter Swan Asad Qizilbash Executive Producers: Oliver Berben Victor Hadida Richard Wright Robert Bernacci Cast: Austin Abrams Zach Cherry Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser