2026 has already been a massive year for Capcom’s beloved survival-horror franchise. Resident Evil Requiem sold a whopping 5 million copies in just five days, making it the fastest-selling entry in the series yet. And the year is far from over: Fans just got their first look at Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger’s upcoming Resident Evil movie, which hits theaters Sept. 18.
In an interview with Polygon, Cregger said that the movie will take place “on the periphery” of the Raccoon City incident chronicled in Resident Evil 2, and that his aim was to create an experience that “really honors the vibe and the pacing you get when you play the games.” Cregger’s commitment to the bit goes beyond the usual lip service.
Resident Evil Requiem was the first game in the franchise to allow players to choose between first-person and third-person perspectives at launch. Cregger’s upcoming film will take a cue from that game, following protagonist Bryan (played by Weapons actor Austin Abrams) from both first- and third-person perspectives to amp up the thrills.
“I’m using video game language to always kind of be behind [Bryan] and swirling around and paying attention to what he’s paying attention to,” Cregger said. “Sometimes I jump to first-person, sometimes I use standard coverage if he’s having a conversation with someone. But I really wanted to embrace that immersive feel that I get when I play the games.”
In Requiem, you control two protagonists throughout the story. As scaredy-cat Grace, you’ll experience the action in first-person, making you wary of threats around every corner and keeping you on the lookout for items that might help you escape. But returning hero Leon S. Kennedy’s sequences happen in third-person. That’s because he has an arsenal of powerful firearms at his disposal, and he’s killed thousands of zombies at this point. He’s not going to shriek and run away every time he sees one.
It sounds like the movie’s hero will have a lot more in common with Requiem‘s newbie, Grace. “I think it’s going to be really fun to be following somebody through this gauntlet that is not, like, SEAL Team Six-level prepared,” Cregger told Polygon.
Sam Nelson contributed reporting to this story.
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