Resident Evil reboot currently at work with Barbarian director; studios engage in bidding race: Reports

A reboot of the successful and popular action horror franchise Resident Evil is at an early stage. Zach Cregger, who had earlier directed the horror film Barbarian, is expected to helm the reboot. Reportedly, several studios are in the race to bid for the franchise.

Inspired by a video game, the Resident Evil film franchise has met with success during its run from 2002 to 2016. Milla Jovovich headlined the franchise through its run as the gun-wielding zombie killer Alice in Racoon City. The news of a reboot is an update that fans were waiting for.

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Four studios in a bidding war for Resident Evil reboot

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Zach Cregger will be writing and directing the reboot film in the Resident Evil franchise. Interested studios include Netflix and Warner Bros. The project will be produced by Constantin Film and Playstation Productions.

Reportedly, Cregger's reboot will be true to its video game source material, which is also known as Bio Hazard in some parts of the world, There have been six films in the franchise so far and all of them have starred Milla Jovovich in the lead with Paul W. S. Anderson serving as director.

Despite the mixed to negative critical response, the films have minted big money. Following the film series, a reboot titled Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was made by Johannes Roberts in 2021, starring Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, and Robbie Amell. In 2022, Netflix tried to create a television adaptation of the concept.

The co-writer of the reboot film is Shay Hatten, who has penned films like Army of the Dead and John Wick Chapter 4. Cregger's involvement, as per the source, is the main reason more studios want to get involved in the Resident Evil reboot.

Cregger started out as a comedian and actor in sitcom shows like Wrecked and Friends with Benefits, apart from being a founding member of the comedy troupe named The Whitest Kids U' Know. In 2022, he wrote and directed the horror film Barbarian starring Bill Skarsgard, Georgina Campbell, and Justin Long. The film met with positive critical feedback and earned $45.4 million globally at the box office, cementing Cregger's name as a credible director, and his take on the popular Resident Evil franchise is eagerly awaited by fans.

The franchise is adapted from the eponymous video games by Capcom that revolve around a girl who fights zombies and an evil organization known as Umbrella Corporation. Putting all the films together, the Resident Evil franchise has earned a whopping $1.2 billion in revenue till date. Fans can hope that the reboot will recreate the magic of the original films.

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