Director Zach Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil film, set to release on September 18, will feature less humor than initially intended, according to the filmmaker. Cregger, known for his work in comedy with the sketch group Whitest Kids 'U Know and for his horror films Barbarian and Weapons, found that early test screenings indicated an overabundance of comedic elements in the Resident Evil script. He and co-writer Shay Hatten subsequently removed many jokes to enhance the audience's reception.
"I learned [from test screenings] that people really liked the movie, but they thought it was too funny," Cregger stated in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "So over the course of my testing, I stripped out as much of the jokes as possible. I then found that not only did the audience enjoy the movie more, but I also liked the movie a lot more."
Cregger also addressed the challenge of satisfying the game's dedicated fanbase, acknowledging that his approach may not align with everyone's expectations. He explained that his primary aim is to create the Resident Evil movie he envisions, rather than attempting to please every potential viewer. "If I tried to please everybody, I’d end up pleasing nobody. That much is obvious," he commented. "I just have to be okay with people voicing their opinion."
Furthermore, Cregger confirmed that his film will not feature any characters from the video game series, a decision he anticipates may disappoint some fans who are particularly invested in the established lore and characters. "I’m not putting any of the legacy characters into this movie. So if that is what you love about these games, then you’re going to feel a certain way about it. 'Here comes yet another Hollywood movie, and they’re once again not doing Leon and all the characters I was hoping they were going to do,'" he said.
The film is scheduled to premiere on September 18, with preview screenings commencing the night before. Industry expectations suggest a strong opening weekend, potentially marking a franchise high for the Resident Evil movie series.
Looking ahead, Cregger has several projects in development, including a sci-fi film titled The Flood and a potential prequel to his film Weapons focusing on the character Aunt Gladys. However, he has indicated that he will not direct the Weapons prequel.