Zach Cregger Was 'Frustrated' the Conversation Around Resident Evil 'Didn't Have Anything to Do With the Movie'

Horror filmmaker Zach Cregger has explained why he was "frustrated" that much of the conversation around his Resident Evil film "didn't have anything to do with the movie."

The mind behind hits like Barbarian and Weapons touched on his feelings about the lead-up to the premiere of his latest project during an appearance on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast. Anyone who paid a second of attention to the Resident Evil movie adaptation knows Cregger struggled to win fans over ahead of its release, and it's something that left him frustrated from a number of angles.

"I think I was frustrated at the conversation around Resident Evil and how much of the conversation really didn't have anything to do with the movie," he said when explaining why he will likely stray from making movies based on established IP in the future.

"It had everything to do with whether the movie was living up to the different standards that different fans of the games had. Whether it was using the characters or not, or what did I get wrong in the lore? It was just a lot about, 'Why isn't this like the source material, or why is it good that it's not like the source material? All the conversation just felt like it was about not the movie."

Skeptical viewers harped on most of the same topics between the release of Resident Evil's first trailer and its theatrical premiere. Where's Leon? Why is it snowing in Raccoon City? Why does Austin Abrams' character have a smartphone? This vocal group of fans spent most of their time worried about what the film meant for the games it was based on and less about how it might carve out its own place in Capcom's wider universe.

Although Cregger did his best to explain that he took creative liberties to improve the overall quality of the movie, he did little to calm the storm of those who have longed to see the faces and places they know and love on the big screen. He did eventually go on to admit he was naïve to assume there would be any other outcome, but uncertain fans remained uneasy about what the final product might look like all the way up until its September 18 release date.

So, how did it do? Despite the backlash, it was a tremendous hit, and it's one Cregger is proud of.

The average movie fan who went to see Resident Evil was generally happy with a new, snowy vision of Raccoon City, too. The film premiered to great reviews (IGN gave it an 8/10) and opened to a whopping $108 million at the worldwide box office.

With a reported budget of $75 million, that was already a solid start, but audiences also continued to show up for the movie in the weeks that followed. Now, as the Halloween weekend draws to a close, Resident Evil has managed to cross $400 million across the globe. That's probably enough success to convince Sony to bring Cregger back for a sequel, but it may be best to keep expectations on that front low for now.

"I'm proud of the movie. I really love the movie," Cregger elaborated during the podcast appearance. "I realize I should have known better going into it. I should have understood that was going to be the case, but for some reason, I was a little shocked."

Did Cregger say he had ideas for a Resident Evil 2? Yes. Did he say he wanted to step away from franchise films after this one came out? Also yes. Now that the dust is starting to settle after fans spent months upset about his vision for the series, he has suggested he's not terribly interested in carrying the weight of an existing IP. Still, for him, it's a "never say never" situation.

The conversation around Resident Evil may have given Cregger more than he bargained for, so we'll have to wait to see what happens next. In the meantime, he's tinkering away on his next original film, The Flood. A sci-fi thriller written, produced, and directed by Cregger, the movie will star Hunger Games veteran Jennifer Lawrence when it premieres August 11, 2028.

While we wait for updates, you can read about how the Resident Evil movie boosted sales for Capcom's game series. Be sure to also read up on how watchers reacted to the film's divisive ending.

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic.