Zach Cregger is set to write and direct a new Resident Evil movie, and THR reports that this has sparked a major bidding war among studios eager to acquire the Barbarian director’s next project.

Four studios are reportedly attempting to snag the project, with sources saying Warner Bros. and Netflix are among them. Cregger’s take is being described as “a revamp that will take the title to its horror roots and be more faithful to the initial games.” Jeff Sneider was the first to bring up the possibility of Cregger tackling a new Resident Evil movie back in September.

The Resident Evil franchise first made the leap to the big screen in 2002, with Milla Jovovich starring as Alice. The film was a success and spawned five sequels, which collectively grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. An attempt was made to reboot the franchise in 2021 with Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City, but the film grossed just $42 million worldwide and received mixed reviews.

Cregger is no stranger to being the subject of a bidding war. After the success of Barbarian, studios were scrambling to get into the Cregger business for his follow-up film, Weapons. New Line Cinema emerged as the victor, shelling out some serious bucks for the project and giving Cregger final cut privilege. “Zach proved with Barbarian that he can create a visceral theatrical experience for audiences and that he commands every tool in the filmmaker toolbelt,” said New Line’s president and CCO, Richard Brener. “We couldn’t be happier that he, Roy [Lee] and Miri [Yoon], and J.D. [Lifshitz]and Rafi [Margules] chose New Line to be the home of his next film, and hope it is the first of many to come.“

Not much is known about Weapons, only that it takes place in a small community after a group of kids mysteriously disappear overnight.

Weapons stars Julia Garner (Ozark), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Amy Madigan (Antlers), Austin Abrams (Euphoria), June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie), and Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives). The film has been slated for a January 16, 2026 release, but there have been rumblings that the studio may move it into 2025 after it received some very high scores at test screenings.

What do you think of Zach Cregger writing and directing a new Resident Evil movie?

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