One of the talking points surrounding the upcoming Resident Evil movie is that director Zach Cregger took an original idea and slapped the Resident Evil name on it. That’s not true, Cregger has said, and now he’s shared more of his thought process as it relates to some of the blowback from fans of the games.
He told IGN that, in retrospect, he feels it was “naive” to think that fans of the games would immediately embrace his pitch for his Resident Evil movie.
“I thought fans of these games, like me, would be thrilled that somebody was coming along and turning Resident Evil into a survival horror movie. I was like, ‘That’s great.’ I did not really appreciate the sentiment that, ‘We’ve been waiting forever for Leon’s story.’ And I appreciate that, and I’m sorry that’s not the story I’m bringing. I get it, I understand the frustration,” he said. “I understand it so well because I haven’t seen the earlier [Resident Evil] movies, because they don’t look like the Resident Evil that I love, so how could I be frustrated with fans who have that same attitude?”
Cregger went on to say he hopes fans of the game see his movie “regardless of their skepticism or their disappointment” that he’s not re-telling a story from the games. He said he hopes fans of the games “feel seen” when they watch the movie and see “all of the love for the games that are in this movie.”
“This is not me just telling a story and slapping Resident Evil on it so I can get a budget. This is me telling a Resident Evil story. I understand the resistance, I do, because I have it myself. It is coming from a true place of love,” he said.
In a separate interview with The Playlist, Cregger said the press tour he’s doing to promote Resident Evil feels more like an “apology tour” given all the negative sentiment from fans. “I feel like I’m running for office, trying to get these people not to call me a LARPer,” he said.
“Now, I’m just like, ‘You know what? See the movie.’ If you still feel the same way after you’ve seen it, then whatever you think is fair. You’re going to decide if I’m an actual Resident Evil fan or a fake. What can I say? I think the movie is going to speak for itself,” he added.
Also in the interview, Cregger addressed the possibility of working on another Resident Evil movie project in the future. He said he “can’t help” to think about “other places this story could go,” adding that he has “ideas.” At the same time, Cregger pointed out that his movie isn’t even out yet. “Let’s see what happens,” he said.
In a different interview, Cregger said he’s done with franchise movies and will only make original projects going forward. His next movie is The Flood, a sci-fi film set in space. Cregger previously directed Barbarian and Weapons.
Resident Evil releases in theaters on September 18, starring Austin Abrams as a medical courier who visits Raccoon City where all hell breaks loose.