Resident Evil may unfold on the big screen, but director Zach Cregger wanted audiences to feel as though they had stepped directly into the game.
The filmmaker’s new take on the legendary horror franchise follows Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a medical courier whose seemingly ordinary night descends into a relentless fight for survival.
As the danger escalates, the movie keeps viewers close to its protagonist, creating the sensation that they are navigating the terrifying journey and making decisions alongside him.
Speaking with HOLA, Cregger revealed that achieving that immersive quality required careful coordination between Austin and the camera operator.
© SONY“A lot of the video-game feel is so dictated by the games,” he explained. “You have this big wide-angle lens that’s on the shoulder of your avatar, and you’re moving through.”
Rather than merely borrowing imagery from the games, the director recreated their visual language through carefully choreographed movements.
© SONY“Austin and the camera operator had to choreograph the timing,” Cregger said. “‘I’m going to take three steps, I’m going to look left, so you’re going to swing around. Then I’m going to look up, and you’re going to drop down.’”
“It was kind of like a dance,” he added. “We had to get them on the same page, and that was a really rewarding thing because I think it looks really unique.”
© SONYAccording to Cregger, that close relationship between the performer and the camera allowed the film to replicate something normally exclusive to gaming. The player’s control over what they see. “Games have a secret weapon where you’re controlling the camera,” he said. “This movie replicates that.”
Finding humor inside the horror:
Despite its tension and nonstop action, Resident Evil also finds moments of comedy through Bryan’s relatable responses to the increasingly unbelievable situations around him.
© SONYCregger said the tonal balance was established in the screenplay, although the cast and crew remained open to discovering unexpected moments during production.
“The script is a good blueprint for how the tone needs to be fluctuating, and then we’re always looking on set for ways to spike it or enhance it,” he explained. “You always want to get what’s on the page, but then you also want to allow some happy accident,” the director added.
A brutally cold shoot:
Creating the movie’s wintry world came with very real challenges. Production took place in Prague during exceptionally cold and wet conditions, and Cregger recalled one particularly punishing day when the rain froze almost immediately upon contact.
© SONY“If you went outside, you would be covered in about one minute in a shell of ice,” he recalled. “Then you would go sit down inside, and it would all crack off and melt. You’d be soaking wet, and then you’d go back out. It was brutal.” His verdict on filming under those conditions? “Don’t recommend it.”
A movie for devoted fans and newcomers:
Although the movie contains details created specifically for longtime players, Cregger emphasized that previous knowledge of the franchise is not required.
“If you’re a fan of the game series, you’re going to feel seen,” he said. “You’re going to see all sorts of, not just Easter eggs, but mechanics and story elements that are directly for and from the games.”
© SONYHowever, the director was equally determined to make the story accessible to audiences entering the world of Resident Evil for the first time.
“If you’ve never played a Resident Evil game, or even a video game, you’re going to be able to follow this without missing a beat,” he said. “There might be a couple of little visual Easter eggs that go over your head, but you won’t even know it.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a rabid fan or if you’ve never heard of it,” Cregger concluded. “You’ll be able to dig the movie.” Resident Evil opens exclusively in theaters September 18.
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