Sony Pictures has released the first official teaser trailer for Zach Cregger’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Resident Evil. Referring to the story as marking “A new era of evil,” the trailer gives us our first look at protagonist Bryan—played by Austin Abrams—and his attempts to survive one horrifying night. Resident Evil will be hitting theatres on September 18th.
While not too many details about the story of Resident Evil have been revealed, the trailer’s description notes that Bryan is a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in “an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.”
Produced by Columbia Pictures and Constantin Film, Resident Evil is directed by Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian), who also handled co-writing duties alongside Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina). Cregger, along with Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Carter Swan, and Asad Qizilbash are producing the film, with Olivia Berben, Victor Hadida, Richard Wright, and Robert Bernacci taking on the role of executive producers.
Resident Evil stars Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser.
The trailer reveals what appears to be the early setup for the events of the movie, with Bryan finding himself stranded in a sparsely populated area covered in snow. Needing to use a phone, Bryan finds himself exploring a house that has seemingly been abandoned. While there is a phone, its lines do not seem to be active.
After this, we see Bryan getting his hands on different weapons as he tries to slowly make his way through a zombie-infested town. Check out the teaser trailer below.
Industry insider Daniel Richtman had reported earlier this month that the test screenings for Resident Evil had been received positively. No other details made it out, however.
It is also worth noting that Resident Evil will not be directly adapting any of the games in the franchise. Rather, Cregger has said that its original story will act as love letter to the games and that it will still follow all of the franchise’s rules.
“Let me say this: this is not breaking the rules of the games,” Cregger said. “I am the biggest worshiper of the games, so I’m telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games. It is obedient to the lore of the games; it’s just a different story. I’m not going to tell Leon’s story, because Leon’s story is told in the games. [Fans] already have that.”
For fans of the games who want a faithful adaptation, Cregger has simply said that “They can play the games.”
In the meantime, Capcom has been enjoying quite a bit of success with the latest entry in the survival horror franchise—Resident Evil Requiem—which recently sold 7 million units across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. For more, check out our review. And while you’re at it, take look at our rankings of the Resident Evil games, from the worst to the best.