‘Resident Evil’ Returns with First Teaser from Zach Cregger

Sony Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for Resident Evil, offering an early glimpse at director Zach Cregger’s reworking of the long-running survival horror franchise ahead of its planned cinema debut later this year.

The film, written by Cregger alongside Shay Hatten, presents an original story set within the established universe of the Capcom video games, rather than revisiting characters or events from previous screen adaptations. It marks the eighth instalment in the broader film series and a second attempt to relaunch the property following 2021’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.

Austin Abrams leads the cast as Bryan, a medical courier drawn into a rapidly escalating situation over the course of a single night. According to the official synopsis, the character becomes caught in a chain of events that spirals into chaos, forcing him into a race for survival as circumstances deteriorate around him. The supporting cast includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser, with additional roles filled by Johnno Wilson.

Cregger, whose previous feature Barbarian established him within the horror genre, takes on directing duties after developing the project with producing partners including Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions. The film was the subject of a competitive bidding process among studios before Sony secured distribution rights through Columbia Pictures in 2025.

Production took place in Prague, with principal photography beginning in October of that year. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, known for work across large-scale studio productions, collaborated with Cregger on the visual approach. The film is currently in post-production ahead of its scheduled release.

Cregger has previously stated that the project does not retell existing storylines from the games, instead developing a standalone plot within the same world. The screenplay draws partial inspiration from earlier titles such as Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, though the film’s central figure is an original creation.

Resident Evil is scheduled for theatrical release on 18 September 2026, with an IMAX rollout confirmed in the United States. Further promotional material is expected to follow in the coming months as the film approaches its release window.

Resident Evil trailer