"Barbarian Director to Reboot Resident Evil"

Zach Cregger, renowned for directing the chilling horror film Barbarian and his association with the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids You Know, is now set to helm a reboot of the iconic Resident Evil franchise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a fierce bidding war is underway among four studios, including Netflix and Warner Bros., eager to secure the distribution rights for Cregger's vision of the classic Capcom survival horror series. Cregger will not only direct but also write the screenplay for this anticipated reboot.

Cregger's recent success with Barbarian, a 2022 horror movie about a woman uncovering a terrifying secret in a rental house, has heightened expectations for his upcoming projects. His next film, Weapons, has reportedly received exceptionally positive feedback from test audiences.

This marks the second reboot of the Resident Evil franchise on the big screen. Previously, Paul W.S. Anderson directed a series of six films starring Milla Jovovich, which, despite deviating from the original games, amassed a global box office of $1.2 billion. In 2021, Johannes Roberts attempted a more faithful adaptation with Welcome to Raccoon City, yet it failed to capture the essence of Capcom's acclaimed game series.

Constantin Film, in collaboration with PlayStation Productions, will produce this new reboot. PlayStation Productions, established by Sony in 2019, has been instrumental in adapting various video games into films and series, including Uncharted starring Tom Holland, Gran Turismo, The Last of Us TV series, and Twisted Metal. Upcoming projects from PlayStation Productions include adaptations of Until Dawn, Days Gone, Ghost of Tsushima, Gravity Rush, Helldivers, Horizon Zero Dawn, and a sequel to Uncharted. Additionally, a God of War TV show and a Ghost of Tsushima anime series are in development.

For more on Zach Cregger's work, you can read our review of Barbarian here.