Why Zach Cregger feared he’d be ‘eviscerated’ for ‘Resident Evil’

With "Resident Evil," Zach Cregger may have just changed the game for video game adaptations.

When popular games are turned into movies and TV shows, filmmakers have often felt it's necessary to retain recognizable characters. In some cases, like 2021's "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City," the goal seems to be packing in as many game references as possible for players to eat up. But with the new "Resident Evil" movie (in theaters Sept. 18), Cregger, director of "Weapons" and "Barbarian," went the other way with what he describes as a "gameplay first" approach. The film doesn't feature a single established character or storyline from any of the "Resident Evil" games, but it's hugely faithful to what it feels like to play them.

"There's a timing and a deliberate pacing that is so unique to the games, and that's what I wanted to lean into with this," he says. "It's not even necessarily about all of the details of the games. It's about that spiritual essence of the games."

Austin Abrams stars in "Resident Evil" as a medical courier, Bryan, hired to transport a package, only to find himself fighting for his life in a zombie outbreak. Despite the lack…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/