Sony to Release ‘Resident Evil’ Movie from ‘Barbarian’ Director in September 2026

After seven live-action films and a short-lived Netflix series, Resident Evil is making its return to the big screen, with Zach Cregger, director of Barbarian, writing and helming the new adaptation. The project had sparked a bidding war among multiple studios, but Deadline reports that the film will remain with Sony.

Warner Bros. and Netflix were also rumored to be in the running. Sony, which distributed all previous Resident Evil films, will release Cregger’s version in theaters on September 18, 2026.

Cregger’s Resident Evil is expected to return to the franchise’s horror roots and stay true to the spirit of the original video games. He is collaborating with Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) on the script.

“I’ve been a rabid fan of these games for decades, and to be able to bring this incredible title to life is a true honor,” Cregger said in a statement to Deadline.

Sony’s Sanford Panitch praised Cregger, saying, “Zach is one of the most talented and exciting new directors to come on the scene in many years. His brilliant approach to restarting and refreshing this legendary Sony franchise instantly makes this one of our most important releases in 2026.”

The latest attempt to reboot the series, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), directed by Johannes Roberts, aimed to follow a similar path but struggled to connect with fans. This followed six action-heavy films starring Milla Jovovich, which collectively grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

In addition, Netflix’s Resident Evil series, which premiered in July 2022, was canceled after just one season due to mixed reviews.