Will There Be Another ‘Resident Evil’ Movie? Zach Cregger Finally Weighs In

Horror reboots rarely arrive with the kind of instant commercial validation that Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ has managed to pull off. After years of shaky attempts to bring the survival-horror franchise back to the big screen, this version has finally given Sony something to actually build on.

That success has naturally sent fans straight to the obvious follow-up question, wondering whether Cregger has any interest in returning for a second trip through Raccoon City. Given how carefully the director has approached franchise filmmaking throughout his career, his answer carries more weight than a typical noncommittal press-tour response.

Zach Cregger says there will potentially be another ‘Resident Evil’ movie, telling The Playlist, “I can’t help thinking about other places this story could go. I’ve got ideas, but this movie hasn’t even come out yet.” The comment stops well short of a formal confirmation, but it’s a notably open door from a filmmaker who’s historically been guarded about franchise commitments.

Cregger didn’t shy away from acknowledging that his mind has already wandered toward where a follow-up could go, even while insisting he wants to see how audiences respond first. “There’s always ideas. You cannot not have ideas,” he said, framing his sequel thoughts as a natural byproduct of building out the world rather than a concrete pitch already in motion.

That measured approach lines up with how Cregger has generally talked about his career, favoring patience over rushing into commitments before a film has even proven itself with audiences. Still, the fact that he’s willing to entertain the conversation at all signals a real shift from a director who’s historically kept sequel talk at arm’s length.

Cregger drew a sharp distinction between this project and his earlier hit ‘Barbarian,’ which he’s explicitly ruled out ever revisiting. “With Barbarian, I’ve never entertained the idea of a sequel. But this is different,” he explained, pointing to the fact that ‘Barbarian’s’ appeal comes from its unconventional narrative structure rather than a world built for expansion.

‘Resident Evil,’ by contrast, comes from source material practically designed for continuation, giving Cregger far more room to imagine where the story could logically head next. That distinction suggests his openness to a sequel isn’t just enthusiasm talking, but a genuine read on which of his projects actually lend themselves to a follow-up.

Cregger’s cautious optimism is backed by real commercial momentum, with ‘Resident Evil’ breaking previous franchise records during its Thursday preview screenings ahead of its wide September 18 release through Sony Pictures. Early tracking suggested the film could pull in somewhere between 40 and 50 million dollars during its opening weekend, a number that would mark the best debut in the franchise’s history.

That kind of turnout gives Sony plenty of financial incentive to seriously consider greenlighting a follow-up, even if nothing has been formally announced yet. For a franchise that’s struggled for years to find its footing on screen, numbers like these represent exactly the kind of validation a studio needs before committing to another installment.

The first trailer for Zach Cregger's ‘RESIDENT EVIL’ has been released.

In theaters on September 18. pic.twitter.com/eeVCAGzy6M
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 30, 2026

Sequel talk aside, Cregger already has his hands full with other projects, including the sci-fi thriller ‘The Flood,’ which has reportedly entered soft prep with hard prep expected to begin in early 2027 ahead of a potential summer shoot. He’s remained noticeably less certain about the status of another anticipated project, simply noting there are “a lot of moving parts” involved.

For now, a ‘Resident Evil’ sequel remains squarely in the idea stage rather than anything officially greenlit, but Cregger’s willingness to even discuss it marks a meaningful shift from his usual franchise skepticism.

Part of what makes Cregger’s openness to a sequel feel credible is the fact that he reportedly pitched Constantin Film a complete story concept before ever writing the script, suggesting he’d already mapped out a broader narrative arc rather than approaching the film as a standalone experiment. That kind of groundwork would make expanding the story into a second chapter a far more natural next step than starting from scratch.

Whether that groundwork ever translates into an official greenlight will likely come down to how audiences respond in the coming weeks, especially with the film’s opening weekend numbers still being finalized.