I Hope You're Ready To Go Back To Raccoon City Because A New Resident Evil Movie Is In The Works. Here's What We Know

I hope you’re ready to head back to Raccoon City because Resident Evil is getting another movie – but this time, I think it’s really going to be good. When it comes to the Resident Evil movies, many can be hit or miss. We could even bring up the TV show that was on Netflix that was cancelled after one season.

Truly, we’ve never gotten the perfect version of this video game franchise, and with so many highly anticipated upcoming video game adaptations, maybe now is the time to bring it back. I have a feeling it’ll be great, based on what we know so far. Here’s all the readily available information.

What Is The Resident Evil Release Date?

At the time of writing this in July 2025, Resident Evil is set to release on September 18th, 2026. That’s right, we’re a little over a year away from release, but that means the wait for the 2026 movie schedule will undoubtedly be worth it. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the news.

So far, the only other major film releasing that weekend is the upcoming sequel to Practical Magic. While that is a highly anticipated film, I’m not sure how it will compete against a mega-franchise like Resident Evil. The week before, though, the upcoming Clayface is set to release, and that, in itself, sounds freaking awesome (and kind of scary). So I’m eager for my September horror fix.

The Resident Evil Cast

There aren’t that many people confirmed yet for the Resident Evil cast, but we do have one name. According to Deadline, Austin Abrams is set to star in the film. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s been sort of all over in movies and TV the last few years.

Abrams is primarily known for his role in the Euphoria cast, but he has also appeared in numerous television shows. Some major ones include the AMC hit drama The Walking Dead, This Is Us, SMILF, Dash & Lily, and a recurring role in Penelope.

He has appeared in such movies as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the Netflix hit Do Revenge, The Starling Girl, the Apple TV+ exclusive Wolfs, and the upcoming horror movie, Weapons, which has already been receiving a ton of praise from critics.

Having him in another horror film honestly lines up, and it’s something that I would love to see him in so much more.

Aside from Abrams, we don’t have any other confirmation of who will star. The previous movies and shows featured numerous stars that you might recognize. Many probably identify Milla Jovovich with the series, because she starred in six films in the Resident Evil franchise.

However, a reboot began in 2021 with the release of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which starred Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia, and more. The television show featured actors like Lance Reddick, Tamara Smart, and others.

Who else will star alongside Abrams is up in the air right now, but I’m excited about whatever kind of additions we get.

What Is Resident Evil Going To Be About?

Currently, we don’t know what the new movie will be about, as details have not been released. That being said, we know from director Zach Cregger (whom we’ll get to in a bit) that it will be more of an homage to the games than to any of the previous films or TV series.

In an interview with Comicbook in July 2025, the director opened up about how the film will “feel” like the games (which are terrifying, by the way), and how he loved playing them:

With that in mind, that makes me even more excited because there are a ton of different directions he could go with the games.

Resident Evil Is A Japanese Horror Game That Often Involves Survivors Taking On Zombies Created By An Evil Corporation Named Umbrella

If you’ve played Resident Evil over the last decade or so, you’d know that the story isn’t always the same. So, let’s break it down.

The first six games in the franchise mainly focus on our protagonists trying to take down the Umbrella Corporation. This vast, international pharmaceutical company has created a virus to further their study of "bio-organic weapons.” In reality, it turns humans into mindless zombies and mutates animals and plants into monsters that can also kill you. Three characters are featured predominantly across these games – Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Albert Wesker.

However, in the seventh game, RE: Biohazard, the protagonist is new: a man named Ethan Winters, who is searching for his wife and gets entangled in a bioterrorism incident while trying to survive constant threats and monsters – a theme that carries over into RE: Village.

Both have similar lore, but are two completely different stories – and really, you could do a lot with this.

Zach Cregger Will Direct And Write The New Film

The last thing we know, which I mentioned above, is that Zach Cregger will be directing this film. This is a significant deal.

Several people directed the first seven films. Paul W.S. Anderson helmed the first, and the fourth through sixth. Alexander Witt directed the second; Russell Mulcahy directed the third. And Johannes Roberts directed the seventh. All of these films received mixed to negative reviews.

Cregger, however, has already directed two films of his own, both horror films and both critically acclaimed – Barbarian, which was released in 2022, and the upcoming Weapons, which I have already mentioned, and critics have been loving. If anyone could bring this horror franchise to where it’s supposed to be, it’s him.

This makes me incredibly excited for the new Resident Evil film, and I, for one, cannot wait. I’m counting down the days until I can sit in a theater and watch it.