Cregger defies lore, snowstorms reign in new ‘resident evil’
The whispers started during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 – a blizzard in a Resident Evil movie? Director Zach Cregger, fresh off the success of Barbarian and Weapons, isn’t apologizing for the visual departures from the source material.
A modern raccoon city: no more 90s rain
Cregger addressed the controversy head-on, stating plainly that “it’s not 1998.” His vision for the film, he explained, leans into a more contemporary, wintry aesthetic, believing it fundamentally enhances the narrative and the overall cinematic experience. ‘I thought it would be better for the movie for it to be snowy,’ he asserted, dismissing the expectation of replicating the rain-soaked, retro atmosphere of Resident Evil 2 and 3.
Beyond adaptation: building a new experience
Crucially, Cregger emphasized that his goal isn’t to meticulously adapt a video game. “I’m not trying to adapt a video game,” he declared emphatically. “I’m not using the characters from the games. I’m not telling a story that the games tell because I’m not going to be able to do it better than the games. The games are so well executed, and to me, Leon and Claire and these characters, they exist so perfectly in the games that anyone I cast and any difference that I do with them would be, probably, to the detriment of what I was trying to do.”
A love letter, not a replication
Cregger’s approach feels less like a faithful translation and more like a love letter to the core elements of the Resident Evil experience – the T-Virus, Umbrella Corporation, and the claustrophobic terror of Raccoon City. He acknowledges the familiarity fans crave, but argues for a cinematic interpretation that prioritizes a visceral, unfolding atmosphere reminiscent of the game’s own pacing. “It’s kind of like when you have your favorite book, and then you find out someone is turning your favorite book into a movie, and then you hear who they cast, and you’re always like, ‘Not that. No. That’s not what I want.’ I’m not trying to do that,” he elaborated, illustrating his desire to capture the feeling of playing the game, not simply recreate it.
The core remains
Despite the visual changes, Cregger insists on retaining the essence of the series. “What I’m trying to do is make a Resident Evil movie that really is a love letter to the experience of playing a Resident Evil game. To me, that means a couple of different things.” He points to the necessity of elements like the T-Virus and Umbrella’s operations, stating they are