Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Film Will Feature No Video Game Characters and the Director Stands by His Choice

Though Resident Evil, with its built-in blend of survival horror and zombie action, would seem a natural candidate for cinematic expansion, the franchise has notoriously struggled to produce a decent live-action adaptation.

This year’s installment aims to finally capture the spirit of the source material, though lingering skepticism remains understandable, given the string of misfires that have plagued the property for over two decades.

Helmed by director Zach Cregger, the project immediately turned heads with one bold announcement: no characters from the games will appear. When pressed on the reasoning behind this move, the filmmaker offered an explanation.

Why Will Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Not Feature Any Characters from the Video Game?

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zach Cregger, director of the upcoming Resident Evil film, set for release on September 17 in Mexico, addressed one of the project’s most talked-about decisions.

The filmmaker explained why the movie will not include any characters drawn from the long-running video game saga.

According to Cregger, the choice stems from a desire to remain faithful to the film’s identity as an original story, entirely separate from any previous installment in the franchise.

“I have to put the story first and foremost,” Cregger stated. “When you watch it, you’ll think: this is very Zach. It just happens to be set in the world of Resident Evil. I honestly don’t believe game fans will walk away disappointed.”

Director Compares Protagonist to Frodo from Lord of the Rings

The director then went on to describe Bryan, the film’s protagonist:

“Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival. Bryan is very much an everyman who happens to be burdened with this kind of sacred mission that’s going to take him into the heart of everything. It’s kind of like Frodo going into Mordor,” Cregger explained.

For more news on the videogame and entertainment industries, click here.

Stay tuned to LEVEL UP for further updates.