Chandler Riggs, widely recognized for his role as Carl Grimes in The Walking Dead, has produced and released his own fan film that adapts a pivotal scene from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Riggs expressed a strong desire to collaborate with director Zach Cregger on future installments within the Resident Evil cinematic universe.
Riggs's fan film, a 20-minute adaptation of the intense garage confrontation between Ethan Winters and Jack Baker, was created out of a passion for the game rather than a pursuit of fame. He noted that the fan film's production was underway when news broke of Cregger's official Resident Evil movie adaptation. "We were trying to beat the clock and get it out about a month ago, but parts just didn't align that way," Riggs stated. He added that he had been anticipating Cregger's film for a long time, and his own project was partly motivated by a desire to see a faithful live-action adaptation of the games.
While Cregger's film received positive reviews, it also generated division among some fans who sought a more direct translation of the game's narrative. Cregger himself maintained that a 1:1 adaptation was unnecessary, as the games already told their stories effectively. Riggs, who portrays a face-revealed Ethan Winters in his fan film, acknowledged the challenges of satisfying all audience segments. "It's impossible to please everybody, you know?" he commented. "I think there's always going to be a crowd that is unhappy, but I think that it's a great way to try to get more people into the series, into the franchise, and tell a story that you want to tell."
Riggs admitted that deviating from the established portrayal of Ethan Winters was a daunting aspect of his project. The team aimed for significant faithfulness to the game in other areas, but showing Ethan's face was a deliberate choice to broaden appeal beyond existing players. "I was going back and forth like ‘Okay, could we do first person the whole time? Could we avoid getting his face in or anything?’ But the more we went back and forth on it, the more I was like, ‘I mean, if we are going to do this and are going to appeal to a wider audience — more than just the people who played the games — then we're going to have to break those rules.' It was very intimidating. Hopefully people are okay with it."
Riggs is a dedicated fan of the Resident Evil series and has voiced interest in developing a feature-length adaptation of RE7. He also expressed enthusiasm for the possibility of working with Cregger, stating, "If [Cregger] wants to continue in the universe, I'm all for it. Listen, my phone is open. Hit my line!"
However, Cregger has previously indicated a reluctance to direct further franchise films following the strong reactions to his Resident Evil movie. Despite this, he has reportedly conceived ideas for a potential sequel, leaving the future of the franchise's film adaptations uncertain.
Riggs's Resident Evil fan film was released online on October 14. It stars Riggs as Ethan Winters, with Jason Douglas as Jack Baker, and features performances from Mary Rachel Quinn, Eugenie Bonderant, Johnathan O’Niel, and Sam Coyles.