Sony released the first trailer for Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie. However, reactions to the new RE film have been split between some players angry it is not accurate enough to the games, and cinephiles who think it looks brilliant. Here’s why some Resident Evil fans are wrong about it not being lore enough.
Resident Evil Movie Trailer Sparks Backlash With Some RE Fans
After months of anticipation, the first Resident Evil movie trailer has finally been released. The new RE film adaptation is from Weapons director Zach Cregger and releases on September 18, 2026. However, the new trailer immediately sparked backlash with long-time Resident Evil players. Some fans, specifically, were upset that it doesn’t follow the storyline from the games.
Debates around whether the Resident Evil movie was lore accurate enough then began to go viral online after a user on X wrote, “So, this is basically a generic horror movie, and they just slapped the Resident Evil name on it.” Fans of the Capcom series then began to chime in with their own concerns about the project on the social media site.
One user, for example, commented, “This is my worry. I love the director, and it looks good, but if it’s literally just the name, then it’s not Resident Evil. It’s just the name being used to sell an original film.” Another frustrated RE fan simply vented, “Yeah, that’s not Resident Evil, sorry.” A general consensus among skeptical fans is that Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie just isn’t RE, since it doesn’t have returning characters from the Capcom franchise.
Why Resident Evil Players Are Wrong About Zach Cregger’s Film
To be clear, not everyone was critical of the new Resident Evil movie trailer. In fact, many critics and players thought the film itself looks really great from the footage released so far. Most of the criticism seems to center around the 2026 film not being “RE” enough. However, I think there is a good argument for why Cregger’s approach is actually perfect for a modern movie adaptation.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard which released in 2017, centers around a new character. It’s plot is also mostly disconnected from the main series. If it wasn’t for the last few acts in the game quickly tying it together to past lore, it would basically be an entirely brand new story altogether. Like Cregger’s film, Ethan Winters is essentially a “everyday man” protagonist who is dropped into the insane chaos of Resident Evil’s world.
RE7 is now considered a masterpiece by most critics and long-time players. Conversely, its sequel, RE8 Village, is also beloved and is also a new story. So if both of those projects are accepted as “great Resident Evil games,” then I don’t see why Cregger’s movie can’t also fit into that same framing.
Resident Evil Requiem Is A Masterpiece Because of Grace Ashcroft
The last point I wanted to make is that recently released and critically acclaimed Resident Evil Requiem largely works because of its new character Grace Ashcroft. Sure, I love playing as Leon Kennedy. And the split campaign structure of RE9 was masterfully done. But its newcomer Grace Ashcroft, in my opinion, who stole the show. Why? Because her sections were terrifying.
And they were specifically scary because she isn’t a super soldier like Kennedy. You actually feel her fear and anxiety. This is why Zach Cregger’s decision to make the new Resident Evil movie star a “regular guy,” played by Austin Abrams, makes so much sense. Also, Raccoon City has millions of people living there. So it’s just cool to see the outbreak from another perspective, rather than the same adaptations we’ve already seen and experienced before.
But hey, that’s just my take. Admittedly, I am a bit of a Cregger fanboy. I loved both Barbarian and Weapons. So if nothing else, the new RE will likely be a great film in general. However, only time will tell whether it’s a great “Resident Evil movie” specifically.
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