A new trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil movie showcases a harrowing sequence where actor Austin Abrams' character, medical courier Bryan, narrowly escapes a deadly encounter. The scene, presented during Sony's September 3 State of Play, depicts Bryan sprinting through Raccoon City streets as pursuing zombies fall from rooftops, exploding on impact. Abrams' character is shown screaming amidst the gore as zombies crash around him.
Director Zach Cregger aimed for practical effects over CGI for this sequence, detailing the use of 150-pound "body-sized blood bags" dropped from cranes. During one take, a blood bag nearly struck Abrams, with Cregger stating, "It would’ve killed him." Cregger described Bryan as an "idiot" caught in a terrifying situation, focused solely on survival.
Cregger likened the film's pacing to the video game series, with intense moments starting early and continuing throughout. "Things pop off about five minutes in and it basically stays like that until the end," he explained. "What I love about the games is that you move from set-piece to set-piece. Every location has a unique challenge. So again, I’m borrowing from the games directly in that rhythm, where you’re just running through a gauntlet."
The Resident Evil movie is scheduled for release on September 18 and is anticipated to achieve the largest opening weekend for any film in the Resident Evil franchise.