Even with just two films, Zach Cregger has contributed some seriously gnarly moments to the horror pantheon. There’s that handbrake turn roughly a t
Even with just two films, Zach Cregger has contributed some seriously gnarly moments to the horror pantheon. There’s that handbrake turn roughly a third into Barbarian (and, frankly, much of what follows). And Weapons gave us head-smashings and face-stabbings galore, courtesy of a certain Aunt Gladys. But according to the filmmaker, you ain’t seen nothing yet. He’s back already with his take on Resident Evil, presenting an original story in the world of horror video game saga – and it’s “definitely the most violent thing I’ve done,” he tells Empire.
Cregger was ready to put pedal to the metal and create a full-throttle horror experience. “You gotta go grotesque!” he says. “I wanted to go all the way. So it’s gnarly. It’s brutal. A very bloody affair.” While he’s a huge fan of the games, he’s more interested in throwing audiences into an authentically Resident Evil experience than delivering lore-drops. “Fleshing out what [the Umbrella Corporation is] up to and how the T-virus works, that’s not what this movie is. This movie is about one dude’s journey on foot, fighting monsters. I don’t give a fuck about checking boxes,” he grins. “All I cared about was just telling a fun story. [One in which] we step on the gas at about eight minutes in and never take our foot off the floor.”
There’ll be personal stuff in there too, though. Just as Weapons was an outlet for his grief, Cregger says he has a personal connection to Austin Abrams’ out-of-his-depth Bryan, battling horrors on a medical courier job while reeling from the news that his girlfriend is pregnant. “People will be able to tell what I’ve been dealing with. It’s still autobiographical,” Cregger explains. Raccoon City becomes a way of asking a huge question: “[Is it right to] bring a child into a world that just seems to be getting worse and worse?” poses Cregger. “We’re wrestling with that question. Only for this character to find out it’s even worse than he’d imagined.” Get ready for a wild reload.
Read Empire’s full Resident Evil feature in the Rings Of Power Season 3 issue, on sale Thursday July 30. Pre-order a copy online here. Resident Evil comes to cinemas from September 18.
