Resident Evil movie won't star Leon, Weapons director Zach Cregger says it'll be a 'new story'

A new Resident Evil horror movie is in development and it will tell a brand new narrative that's separate from the games--that means no Leon or Claire story arcs.

2

Zach Cregger, the director of acclaimed horror movies Weapons (2025) and Barbarian (2022), is lending his creative vision to a new Resident Evil movie. The film aims to capture the creeping dread from the original games, of which Cregger is a huge fan--especially RE4.

While we don't know official story details just yet, Cregger tells Inverse that it won't be another rehash of the games. This isn't an adaptation of a particular game, but of the series as a whole, set with macabre overtones.

"Let me say this: [the movie] is not breaking the rules of the games. I am the biggest worshiper of the games, so I'm telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games."

"It is obedient to the lore of the games, it's just a different story. I'm not going to tell Leon's story, because Leon's story is told in the games. We already have that."

In another interview with SFX Magazine, Cregger says that he wants to "tell a story that's compelling," but specifics remain unclear.

Capcom has enjoyed relative success with its previous Resident Evil films, which starred Fifth Element actress Milla Jovovich. While these movies have been criticized and panned, they ultimately did their job as transmedia advertising for the game series. All-told, Resident Evil remains Capcom's best-selling video game series of all time with over 174 million units sold.

The next mainline Resident Evil game, Resident Evil 9: Requiem, is also coming in February 2026. Capcom is going for more anxiety-driven terror with Requiem and has created a new protagonist to help propel the narrative.