Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is taking a different approach to Capcom’s survival horror franchise, but one of the biggest changes made during production was not about the story or characters. Instead, test screenings convinced the filmmaker that the movie needed to become significantly less funny.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cregger explained that audiences generally responded positively to the movie but repeatedly felt there were too many jokes. That feedback prompted him to reconsider the balance between horror and comedy.
Resident Evil Became Scarier After Test Screenings
Cregger revealed that he gradually removed jokes throughout the testing process, with the results surprising him.
“I learned that people really liked the movie, but they thought it was too funny,”
the filmmaker said.
He eventually stripped out as much humor as possible and discovered that the response improved. More importantly, Cregger said he personally preferred the darker version, explaining,
“not only did the audience enjoy the movie more, but I also liked the movie a lot more.”
The director concluded that comedy works best when used sparingly in horror.
“A little bit of humor goes a long way in a horror movie,”
he said, adding that there was “not a single joke” removed from the final version that he misses.
That decision marks an interesting shift for Cregger, whose previous films Barbarian and Weapons were praised for combining frightening material with moments of humor. His new Resident Evil instead aims to put greater emphasis on tension and survival while still drawing inspiration from the gameplay experience.
Cregger has particularly cited Resident Evil 4 as an important influence. Rather than directly adapting an existing game storyline, the movie follows Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, whose attempt to deliver an urgent package to Raccoon City General Hospital becomes entangled with the outbreak of the T-virus.
The filmmaker has also faced criticism from portions of the franchise’s fanbase over his decision to tell an original story without legacy characters such as Leon S. Kennedy. Cregger acknowledged that reaction but said he cannot attempt to satisfy every section of the fandom.
“I cannot be worried about whether I am pleasing enough of every spectrum of fandom,”
Cregger told The Hollywood Reporter.
“If I tried to please everybody, I’d end up pleasing nobody.”
Cregger’s version of Resident Evil will also use visual ideas inspired by the games, including frequent third-person perspectives. However, he emphasized that he did not impose a rigid rule on the cinematography, instead choosing camera angles based on what best served individual scenes.
Resident Evil is scheduled to open in theaters on September 18, 2026, giving audiences their first opportunity to see how Cregger’s test-screening changes shaped his take on the iconic horror franchise.