The New Resident Evil Movie Is Out Only in Theatres
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil opened in movie theatres on September 18, 2026.
It comes from TriStar Pictures, Constantin Film and Davis Films. Sony Pictures lists it as "Exclusively in Movie Theatres September 18" on its movies index. Sony Pictures
Cregger directed the film. He also directed Barbarian and Weapons. Engadget It stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier. Abrams was in Weapons before this lead role. Variety
Bryan's story takes place in Raccoon City. Here it is a small, remote town in the mountains. Six older Resident Evil movies starred Milla Jovovich. Welcome to Raccoon City was a 2021 live-action reboot. Variety calls this new Cregger film a reboot.
The movie copies how the games work. The camera often sits just behind Bryan, as in Resident Evil 4. One room holds only a typewriter. It points to the save rooms in the old games, safe places to record progress, like a pit stop where you can pause. The film keeps bullets and supplies low to build fear.
Cregger presented the film to theatre owners at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The message was theatres first. There is no joint streaming release. It earned $8.8 million in previews. Variety Variety reported on September 16 that it was aiming for the best opening weekend in the series.
The broader context here is what game movies often get wrong. Many use the names and monsters but feel like normal action films. This one copies the playing experience instead, a tight view, a safe resting place, and always counting supplies.
In my view, that is the smart choice. Players remember Resident Evil as feeling short on everything. That shortage works well with a crowd. Quiet scenes hold focus. People counting bullets with Bryan are not checking phones.
Worth flagging is the simple setup. A courier in a cut-off town is an everyday job turned into survival. The story stays on moving, saving supplies, and making choices. Limits become a strength that teaches a useful skill, reading warning signs and acting on them.
