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‘Resident Evil’ Filmmaker Zach Cregger Reveals the Key Adjustment He Made After Test Screenings
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Director Zach Cregger has revealed that test screenings for his new Resident Evil film led him to strip out much of its comedy after audiences felt the horror-comedy balance skewed too far towards jokes. Cregger, who built his reputation blending scares with humour in Barbarian and Weapons, said removing the comedic material made the finished film stronger and that he does not miss a single joke he cut. The disclosure matters because it illustrates the meticulous, audience-tested approach behind a project that arrives amid a remarkable career turnaround, with Cregger going from a struggling comedy director five years ago to one of Hollywood's most in-demand filmmakers.
Resident Evil, released in cinemas on 18 September, tells an original story centred on medical courier Bryan, played by Cregger's Weapons collaborator Austin Abrams, whose attempt to deliver urgent cargo to Raccoon City General Hospital collides with the franchise's infamous T-virus outbreak. The film, along with Cregger's upcoming Spielberg-produced sci-fi picture The Flood, was reportedly the subject of intense studio bidding, following Weapons' $270 million box-office haul against a $38 million budget. Cregger has acknowledged facing criticism from Resident Evil fans over his use of artistic licence, particularly regarding legacy characters such as Leon S. Kennedy, but says he cannot try to please every corner of the fandom and has suggested this may be the only major franchise entry he takes on.
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In short
- Cregger cut most jokes from Resident Evil after test audiences found it too funny
- Film out 18 September, follows original character Bryan amid the T-virus outbreak
- Cregger faces fan backlash over creative liberties but says he won't chase approval
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Director Zach Cregger has revealed that test screenings for his forthcoming Resident Evil film prompted him to significantly cut back on comedy, after audiences felt the horror-comedy balance skewed too far towards jokes.
- 2 months ago Director Zach Cregger has revealed that audience test screenings for his upcoming *Resident Evil* film led him to cut back significantly on the comedy, after viewers felt the mix of horror and humour was unbalanced.
- 2 months ago Director Zach Cregger has revealed that test screenings for his new Resident Evil film led him to strip out much of its comedy after audiences felt the horror-comedy balance skewed too far towards jokes.
Explained simply
Zach Cregger has built his reputation on horror films that mix genuine scares with dark comedy, most notably 2022's Barbarian and this year's Weapons, the latter a huge box office hit made on a modest budget. That track record led to him being handed the Resident Evil franchise, best known as a series of survival-horror video games and earlier films, for a new instalment telling an original story rather than adapting an existing game plot.
The film follows a medical courier called Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, who becomes caught up in an outbreak of the T-virus, the fictional pathogen at the heart of the Resident Evil series, at a hospital in the franchise's familiar setting of Raccoon City. Some long-standing fans have raised concerns about changes Cregger has made to established characters, including Leon S. Kennedy, a well-known figure from the games.
The film is due in cinemas on 18 September and arrives at a moment when Cregger is in high demand across Hollywood, with studios competing for his next projects. That context matters because his comments about reworking the film after test audiences reacted to early cuts speak to the pressure and scrutiny surrounding a much-anticipated release from a director whose recent work has drawn wide attention.
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