Zach Cregger brought his new Resident Evil movie to CinemaCon, and the first trailer sounds like exactly what fans would want from the franchise: blood, zombies, and chaos.
Sony screened footage from the movie ahead of its September 18 theatrical release.
The trailer previewed an original story set in the zombie-infested Resident Evil universe and stars Austin Abrams, who reunites with Cregger following Weapons.
What happens in the Resident Evil trailer
According to Variety’s description, the trailer opens with Abrams’ character finding an abandoned house in a snowy field while looking for a working phone. He calls his girlfriend, apologizes for being disconnected earlier, and says they may never speak again.
From there, the footage leans hard into horror. Zombies fill the trailer, including a pale, bloated creature sitting at the bottom of a sewer.
The big finish shows Abrams running through a deserted street while a zombie horde chases him from the rooftops.
The footage ends with zombie bodies smashing to the ground in violent fashion.
Zach Cregger takes over Resident Evil
Cregger is coming off a strong run in horror. He broke out with Barbarian and followed it up with Weapons, which turned into a major hit. Now he is jumping from original horror into one of gaming’s biggest survival horror franchises.
Resident Evil also reunites him with Austin Abrams, while the cast includes Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Kali Reis.
“I wanted to write a story that would really lean into that dread,” Cregger previously explained. “It’s not adapting any of the game plots, but it exists in that same territory.
“Those games pioneered something special,” Cregger added in another interview at the time. “The pacing of those games is so unique and effective, and just being locked in with one character moving from point A to point B, knowing you’re going to pass through this gauntlet of terror, and you’ve got to be methodical and thoughtful about it. That’s cool. That’s cinematic. So I want to tell the story in the world of the games that honors the lore of the games, but it’s a new story.”
Resident Evil release date
Sony will release Resident Evil in theaters on September 18.
With Cregger behind the camera and the first CinemaCon footage going heavy on gore and zombie horror, this version looks to be aiming for a more intense and memorable return for the franchise.
(note: featured image is not associated with the movie)
