When Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) was first announced, fans weren't completely on board with the idea behind the film. After all, video game adaptations don't have exactly the best track record or reputation. Granted, this has changed for the better in recent years thanks to releases such as The Last of Us season 1, Prime Video's Fallout, and the Sonic the Hedgehog saga. However, the Resident Evil franchise had never succeeded in this medium before, despite six different attempts.
To make things more complicated, it was announced that Resident Evil (2026) wouldn't feature Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield as the main protagonist but rather a completely original character, and this decision certainly raised some eyebrows. Moreover, the story of the film wouldn't be canon to the game due to some key timeline differences. But while there was a lot of skepticism leading up to the project's release, the final result proved to be worth it.
Resident Evil (2026) quickly became the highest-rated video game movie ever made, and it also made box office history for the franchise by grossing over $400 million worldwide—an impressive feat, especially considering it is an R-rated horror film. Since its release, fans have wondered whether this level of success could translate into a sequel, and while nothing is set in stone just yet, director Zach Cregger gave a promising tease of what could happen next.
Zach Cregger states that he wants to remain creatively involved in the Resident Evil franchise
Zach Cregger was a guest on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, where he talked about his previous films, upcoming projects, and the opportunity to work on a franchise like Resident Evil. Around the 20:23 mark, Cregger was asked whether he'd be okay producing more movies set in Raccoon City without writing them or directing them, and he revealed that he would like to remain creatively involved in the franchise in some capacity:
"I would want to have some hand in them. I can't help but have an idea for where that franchise—I'm calling it a franchise—could go."
It makes sense for Zach Cregger to remain creatively involved in the future of Resident Evil even if he doesn't direct a potential sequel. After all, he revealed he wouldn't like to helm another franchised film due to the "unpleasant" discourse surrounding his latest film leading up to its release. Despite that, he has consistently stated that he has more ideas for other potential installments.
Maybe Zach Cregger could produce and write the script for a Resident Evil follow-up without necessarily directing. After all, he's busy helming his next project, The Flood, so handing off director duties on Resident Evil would certainly make his schedule less crowded. However, there's no denying that one of the main reasons why the first installment worked in the first place was due to Cregger's ability to perfectly capture the experience of playing a Resident Evil game.
Given the success of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026), it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that Sony Pictures will eventually develop a sequel. After all, Capcom plans for the saga to have yearly releases in the video game world moving forward, meaning Sony could capitalize on the games' popularity by releasing more adaptations as well.
Only time will tell whether there will be more Resident Evil films (although it seems like an inevitability at this point). But even if Zach Cregger isn't in the director's chair, it's clear his influence will still be felt in some capacity.
Resident Evil (2026) is out now in theaters.
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