Sony has emerged victorious in the bidding war for the Resident Evil movie reboot. This marks the studio’s eighth attempt at bringing the beloved video game franchise to the big screen, despite the previous seven films receiving largely negative reviews. The first six movies, starring Milla Jovovich, were released to a lukewarm reception, while the 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, failed to impress critics and audiences alike.
The new reboot, which is being written and directed by Zach Cregger, a rising star in the horror genre, was shopped around to multiple studios, including Warner Bros and Netflix. However, Sony ultimately secured the rights, likely due to the franchise’s proven financial success. Despite the critical panning, the Resident Evil film series has collectively earned over $1.2 billion at the box office.
While it’s difficult to predict whether this second reboot will be an improvement over its predecessors, there are some promising signs. Cregger’s 2022 horror film Barbarian received positive reviews, suggesting that he may be the right person to helm this project. Additionally, the film will be produced under Sony’s Columbia Pictures label, which has a reputation for backing bigger-budget productions, such as the Spider-Man Universe films.
It’s worth noting that the script for the reboot has not yet been written, and no cast has been announced. However, the film already has a release date set for September 18, 2026. While this may seem ambitious, given the lack of progress on the project, it’s clear that Sony is committed to bringing this reboot to life.
Only time will tell if this latest attempt at adapting Resident Evil for the big screen will be successful. With Cregger at the helm and a potentially larger budget courtesy of Columbia Pictures, there’s a glimmer of hope that this reboot may finally do justice to the beloved video game franchise.
