Zach Cregger is developing a new Resident Evil reboot, but it is already repeating a mistake that every previous live-action version made. While the Capcom video game franchise is beloved, the same can’t be said for the various movies. The Resident Evil franchise has always struggled when being adapted into film, and Cregger hopes to break this streak.

The first live-action Resident Evil movie came in 2002 and was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Starring Milla Jovovich as Alice, an original character created for the movies, it was a box office success, making $103 million on a $33 million budget. Despite its commercial performance, Resident Evil was a critical failure, currently holding 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Box office successes combined with critical failures have been a trend for the franchise, with the highest-rated movie being 2016’s The Final Chapter, which holds 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. The original series’ consistent box office returns meant that the franchise couldn’t stop there, leading to the 2021 Welcome to Raccoon City reboot and now Cregger’s upcoming film.

Like Every Other Live-Action Resident Evil, Zach Cregger’s Reboot Will Tell An Original Story

After the success of Barbarian, Cregger signed on to helm another live-action Resident Evil reboot. Recently, while promoting his new movie Weapons, Cregger provided more details on the upcoming film, discussing what the movie would be about and how it would adapt the iconic video game series.

Cregger told Inverse that his movie is “outside of the characters of the games,” meaning that it won’t star series icons like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine. According to Cregger, he is “telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games,” and Resident Evil fans who simply want to see the stories of Leon or Jill “can play the game.”

Cregger clearly plans on doing something original with his take on the franchise. However, this has been the problem with each of the previous live-action movies. While it did adapt elements from the video games, the Resident Evil series is a notoriously bad adaptation. The adventures of Alice stray far from the story of the source material, disappointing many of its fans.

After six critically panned original stories, the franchise released Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. While it is more faithful to the games in spirit, this was another original story, following a group of humans who have to fight back against Umbrella’s monsters. It was also panned by critics, earning 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, although its 65% audience score means that it fared better with fans.

After seven original Resident Evil stories that failed in different ways, directly adapting one of the beloved video games seems like an obvious choice. Recent faithful video game adaptations like HBO’s The Last of Us and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 have proven that this is a route that can work, which is why more original characters and stories are so odd.

Cregger’s upcoming film will be the franchise’s third attempt at making a live-action movie series centered on original characters, and it really needs to work this time. The franchise can’t afford another theatrical failure, but based on Resident Evil‘s track record, this isn’t a great start.

If Any Resident Evil Movie Works, It Will Be Zach Cregger’s

Although things may seem scary, if anyone can make a Resident Evil movie work, it will be Zach Cregger. Both Barbarian and Weapons have proven that Cregger can mix genuinely horrifying scenes with absolutely hilarious ones, something that the franchise is known for. Each of the previous movies has failed to find this balance, but Cregger may be able to pull it off.

Another good sign is that Cregger is a true fan of Resident Evil. When discussing the film, Cregger previously said, “I am a gigantic Resident Evil game fan. I’ve played them all. I don’t know how many times I’ve just looped [RE4] again and again. I just love it.” Cregger’s love for the franchise makes the prospect of an original story far less scary, as he understands what works about the video games.

Misunderstandings of the source material are what made the previous Resident Evil movies such bad adaptations, but with Cregger, it is doubtful that fans have to worry about this. If the director is as big a fan as he claims to be, then it will be incredibly hard for him to make a mess as big as the previous movies did.

Cregger has twice proven himself to be one of the best horror directors working today, so it will be a shock if he messes up after being provided with so much great source material. The one obvious thing that risks messing up Cregger’s film is studio interference. Resident Evil is a bigger project than Barbarian or Weapons, and if Cregger’s ideas conflict with executives, it could lead to problems.

For now, however, fans should have faith in Cregger’s film. He has a consistent track record of making great movies, and his history with the franchise makes him a great candidate for another reboot. In fact, his knack for original storytelling might even mean he’ll craft a fantastic arc. Until the first look at his Resident Evil movie is given, fans should remain hopeful for the next adaptation.