Do You Need to Watch the Old ‘Resident Evil’ Movies or Play the Games Before Zach Cregger’s 2026 Reboot?

Zach Cregger’s name alone has been enough to sell tickets this year, and now the ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Weapons’ director is turning his attention to Capcom’s zombie-infested universe. His new ‘Resident Evil’ film hits theaters on September 18, 2026, and it has already sparked a very practical question among casual moviegoers.

If you never finished a single ‘Resident Evil’ game or sat through Milla Jovovich mowing down the undead, can you still walk into this one cold. The short answer, according to critics and the film itself, is a relieving yes.

Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Reboot Starts from Scratch

Cregger’s version is not a continuation of anything that came before it. The film is an original screenplay that Sony Pictures picked up after a bidding war for the director’s take on the property, with Cregger writing and directing the new movie based on the video game franchise about a world overrun by zombies due to a viral outbreak from an evil corporation.

There is no returning cast of iconic heroes to catch up on either. The story follows a hapless courier tasked with delivering a package to a remote hospital, who soon finds himself caught in the middle of an outbreak and must fight through hordes of mutated creatures to survive.

That courier, Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, is already having a rough night before the outbreak even starts, since his girlfriend Michelle has just told him she is pregnant, and he did not react well to the news. It is a brand new entry point, built for people who have never touched a controller.

No Ties to the Milla Jovovich ‘Resident Evil’ Movies

Longtime fans of the franchise’s cinematic history do not need a refresher course either. Before Cregger’s film, the best known Resident Evil movie adaptations were the ones spearheaded by director Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, though those six films leaned much more into post apocalyptic action. Cregger’s take is a clean break from that franchise entirely, sharing only the name and the DNA of the source material.

Critics have noted the tonal shift is deliberate. The Anderson led films were tonally very different from the video games, which aim for spine chilling survival scenarios involving unkillable creatures, and that survival horror tone is something Cregger has clearly chased down instead. So if your only exposure to ‘Resident Evil’ on screen was Jovovich dodging lasers in the Hive, you are not missing continuity here, you are getting a completely different kind of movie.

There are also no legacy characters to memorize before showtime. Series mainstays like Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield do not appear, and reviewers have pointed out that some corners of the internet were initially frustrated by that choice before the film even released.

Skipping the ‘Resident Evil’ Games Is Completely Fine

For the gaming faithful wondering if they need to replay old entries to catch references, the reassurance comes straight from audiences who have seen it. One early reaction summed it up simply, noting the movie made them laugh and jump more than anything else this year and calling it an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish, while adding that viewers do not need to have ever played the games to love this movie.

That said, the film clearly respects where it came from. Despite the absence of familiar characters, this is described as one of the most video game inspired cinematic experiences a viewer could have, from the dwindling supplies its protagonist manages to a structure that feels mission based, with Bryan working through a series of increasingly impossible goals. In other words, the spirit of survival horror gameplay is baked into the plotting itself, so longtime players will still recognize the DNA even without a single familiar face on screen.

Cregger has been upfront about wanting full creative control rather than adapting existing game plots beat for beat. Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter, he clarified that he only wants to direct scripts he personally writes, and confirmed his ‘Resident Evil’ script is original material that he wrote and loves as a story. That approach explains why prior knowledge of Capcom’s lore is optional rather than required.

What Critics Are Saying About Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Movie

Early reviews suggest the gamble on an original story is paying off. One review called the film a fantastic 90 minute horror comedy, praising the chemistry between Cregger and Abrams as clever, scary and surprisingly timely. Another critic admitted the film is almost too slight when it ends and leaves viewers wanting a bit more, though they framed that as a compliment, comparing it to a video game that ends in a way that makes you want to buy the next installment.

The humor also seems to be a defining trait rather than a distraction. Cregger reportedly scrapped even more comedy from his initial cut following early test screenings, and what remains in the final version still shows his skill for deploying jokes at exactly the right moment. According to one review, the film keeps a tight 90 minutes of terror mixed with occasional comedic pressure release, making audiences scream in one moment and laugh in the next.

At its core, this ‘Resident Evil’ seems designed to work as a standalone horror comedy first, and a video game adaptation second. Whether you are a series veteran or someone who has never picked up a controller, walking in without homework appears to be exactly how Cregger intended it.

So if you were holding off on buying a ticket because you thought a marathon of old movies or games was mandatory homework, consider this your permission slip to just show up. Now that you know Bryan’s rough night in Raccoon City stands entirely on its own, are you going in fresh, or are you still planning a nostalgia rewatch before the credits roll?