Resident Evil director Zach Cregger has spoken about the backlash he received from hardcore fans of the game series following the film's release. While the movie has achieved significant box office success, grossing over $400 million globally and earning positive reviews, a segment of the fanbase criticized its departure from the source material, noting the absence of established storylines and characters. Cregger, who opted for an original narrative set within the Resident Evil universe, expressed frustration with the conversation surrounding his film, stating that it often focused on what it wasn't, rather than what it was.
Speaking on The Town podcast, Cregger admitted that he "should have known better" than to underestimate the passionate reactions of dedicated gaming communities. He acknowledged that he overlooked this intensity, a common characteristic of online gaming discourse, for reasons he cannot fully explain. Cregger previously described himself as naive for believing gamers would embrace his approach.
Despite the criticism, Cregger remains proud of the film he created. While he had previously expressed a reluctance to direct further franchise films, he has since adopted a more open "never say never" attitude. He described his career trajectory as being in a fortunate position where he feels he is "playing with house money," particularly after his success with prior projects like Barbarian and Weapons. This perspective allows him to approach his current and future projects with a desire to "swing for the f[REDACTED]ing fences" and give his utmost effort, regardless of the commercial outcome.
Cregger's next project is the deep space science fiction film The Flood, starring Jennifer Lawrence, which he noted is his largest budget film to date, surpassing even Resident Evil's reported $75 million production cost before marketing. He also mentioned that he is producing Aunt Gladys, a spin-off of the Weapons movie.
Constantin Films, which has held the rights to Resident Evil since the 1990s, had considered shelving the film franchise after Welcome to Raccoon City underperformed. However, Cregger's pitch revived the series for their cinematic endeavors.