Resident Evil 2026: New Horror Film Set in Raccoon City Details Revealed

By Published Apr 30, 2026, 9:01 AM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2026. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2026, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, , Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on . He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Zach Cregger is giving evil a new face.

The Weapons director is hot off the success of his 2026 horror movie, but he's already set to make his return with a new adaptation of . Starring Austin Abrams, Cregger's take on the iconic video game franchise is a new story set within the world of the games. Early footage was revealed at CinemaCon in April, teasing Abrams' character Bryan, a courier who is trying to make a delivery amidst the fall of Raccoon City. However, he's forced to contend with the monstrous entities now stalking its streets, turning his mission into a fight for survival.

Now, has released the first trailer for Resident Evil, which sees Bryan arrive in an empty house in the middle of a snowy night. He calls someone on the phone, indicating he got disconnected from them before he could say everything he wanted to. The trailer cuts to shots of him running through the snow and loading a shotgun, before more clearly showing his attempts to survive in Raccoon City. Undead entities stalk him in eerie, creepy ways as he tries to escape, the trailer ending with a tense sequence as his pursuers fall from the sky.

Check out the full trailer below:

The will be released in theaters on September 18, 2026. In addition to Abrams' lead role, the movie will also star Paul Walter Hauser as Carl, Zach Cherry as Dave, Kali Reis as Pauline, and Johnno Wilson as Max. The movie, which sports a budget of $80 million, is the most expensive film Cregger has ever directed, over twice the budget of Weapons. Sony bought the rights after a major bidding war with four other studios, with PlayStation Productions serving as a producer for the movie as well.

Cregger's movie comes off the back of and box office success, with star Amy Madigan winning Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her role as Gladys. The trailer for Resident Evil offers an atmosphere similar to the games, with Bryan using whatever means are at his disposal in order to survive. There's also plenty of mystery to the film as well, such as the pale figure he discovers in the sewers and what he's trying to deliver that's making him brave the city's apocalyptic events.

The haven't had the best luck critically, with most of the films only incorporating some elements from the games while having a story that veers off in a different direction. Cregger's adaptation is also expected to tell an original story set in Raccoon City, with no characters from the games set to appear. However, the trailer showcases a terrifying tone similar to the . Couple this with Cregger's passion for the franchise, and it seems like this could be the first adaptation that adheres closely to the video games it's based on.

With the movie only a few months away, it seems like Resident Evil is going to help revitalize the franchise's big screen presence with a terror-driven tale that pulls from the video game series. Given its high budget, Sony appears to have faith in the film's ability to succeed, which will no doubt become clearer as the release date draws closer.

Like Follow Followed Sci-Fi Release Date September 18, 2026 Director Zach Cregger Writers Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger