Zach Cregger, acclaimed director of the horror film Barbarian and a member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids You Know, is helming a Resident Evil reboot.
The Hollywood Reporter reports a fierce bidding war is underway for distribution rights to Cregger's adaptation of Capcom's iconic survival horror game franchise. Cregger is set to write and direct the reboot. THR indicates four studios, including Netflix and Warner Bros., are vying for the rights.
Cregger gained recognition for his 2022 horror hit Barbarian, a suspenseful tale about a woman who discovers a terrifying secret at a rented house. He has already completed his next film, Weapons, which reportedly received overwhelmingly positive audience test screenings.
[Read our Barbarian review here.](Link to Barbarian review - This should be replaced with an actual link if available)
This marks the second Resident Evil film franchise reboot. A previous series of six films, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, generated $1.2 billion globally, despite deviating from the game storylines. A 2021 reboot, Welcome to Raccoon City, directed by Johannes Roberts, aimed for greater game fidelity but fell short of the games' quality.
Similar to the Anderson films and Welcome to Raccoon City, Constantin Film will produce the upcoming reboot alongside PlayStation Productions. Established in 2019, Sony's PlayStation Productions adapts its game properties for film and television, with past projects including Uncharted (starring Tom Holland), Gran Turismo, the The Last of Us TV series, and Twisted Metal.
Future PlayStation Productions projects include adaptations of Until Dawn, Days Gone, Ghost of Tsushima, Gravity Rush, Helldivers, Horizon Zero Dawn, and an Uncharted sequel. A God of War TV series and a recently announced Ghost of Tsushima anime series are also in development.
