The popular video game Resident Evil is getting a new cinematic remake, and there are already a ton of exciting details about the upcoming movie. The original survival horror game debuted in 1996 (developed by Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara) and became a worldwide sensation on fifth generation consoles like the original PlayStation. Starting as a simple zombie story involving the shady Umbrella Corporation and their dastardly experiments, the gaming franchise quickly branched out into one of the richest and most complicated universes in video game history. It also didn’t take long for Hollywood to come calling.

The Resident Evil film franchise began in 2002 with the release of the eponymous film by director Paul W.S. Anderson. An immediate box-office sensation, the poorly-reviewed action hit would spawn five financially successful sequels over the next decade and a half. However, as 2016’s The Final Chapter indicated, it was time for the original Resident Evil film series to wind down. 2021’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City jump-started a new movie series with recognizable characters from the games and a closer ᴀssociation with the original lore. All this has now paved the way for the upcoming 2026 movie.

The Resident Evil Remake Latest News

The Director’s Salary Is Reportedly Revealed

Though much of the upcoming remake is shrouded in mystery for now, recent reports seem to reveal the salary for Resident Evil‘s director. The horror game adaptation has tapped Zach Cregger (Barbarian) to helm the project, and he will be pulling triple duty as writer, director, and producer. According to the report, Cregger will be paid $20 million on top of his backend points, which guarantee him a portion of the film’s box office. If these numbers are accurate, Cregger’s paycheck indicates that the Resident Evil remake could have a mᴀssive budget.

By comparison, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City had a reported production budget of $25 million (via The Numbers) which is quite low compared to earlier Resident Evil films. Despite grossing around $40 million, Welcome to Raccoon City likely failed to break even when factoring in marketing and advertising costs. Now, it seems as if the upcoming film is learning from earlier mistakes by putting more money into the project instead of going for the low-budget approach. However, it remains to be seen if throwing so much money a director/writer/producer will pay off.

The Resident Evil Remake Release Date

The Remake Is Planned For 2026

Despite the fact that almost nothing is known about the upcoming movie, Sony has set a release date for the Resident Evil remake. Coming nearly two years after the film was first announced (in January 2025), Sony plans to release the remake on September 18, 2026. The release date also indicates that Sony has won the bidding war, though Warner Bros. was reportedly also interested in taking on the legendary Capcom gaming franchise. Sony released all the previous Resident Evil movies, so the continuity might help the new remake flourish. A theatrical release is expected, but details are scant.

Despite the lengthy span of time until the video game movie actually arrives, it’s highly likely that work will begin in earnest very soon. Though no production timeline is known, casting and shooting should begin before the end of 2025. Add in the distinct possibility of a long post-production process, and it may wrap principal pH๏τography sooner than expected. It’s also unclear if the release date will change at any point in the future, and it’s entirely contingent upon how well production proceeds, and the presence of other big releases in September 2026.

The live-action Resident Evil film franchise includes:

Who Is Making The Resident Evil Remake?

The Twisted Mind Behind Barbarian (2022) Is Remaking Resident Evil

The seven films in the Resident Evil series so far have been overseen by four different directors, but the upcoming remake is adding a fifth filmmaker to the roster. Fresh off his groundbreaking debut solo directing effort, Barbarian, Zach Cregger has been tapped to direct the remake. Not only will Cregger be helming the project, but he has been brought on to write and produce as well. This level of creative control is something new for the cinematic franchise, and Resident Evil has always been a film series made by committee.

With Barbarian, Cregger showed he could deliver an effective creature feature that also excelled from a cinematic standpoint. Cregger’s hiring seems to indicate that the remake will be leaning heavily into the horror aspects of Resident Evil, a stark departure from the action-oriented movies by Paul W.S. Anderson and company. However, with a recognizable property like Resident Evil, it remains to be seen how much creative control Cregger will actually be given by Sony and Capcom.