Following his two originals “Barbarian” and “Weapons,” filmmaker Zach Cregger opted to tackle a known IP with his upcoming “Resident Evil” film.
Don’t expect it to be the start of a trend though, as Cregger says he is done with franchise filmmaking after this.
Speaking with Deadline, Cregger reveals that in all the offers he’s received after the success of his prior films, he’s never been offered a studio franchise:
“I have never been approached by another franchise. Maybe I have, but it would never get to me because I have been very clear that I’m not doing that [again]. I’m doing this, and that’s it for me.
I’m not going to go tackle any other franchises – just because I’m a writer, and I want to write whatever I want to write. I don’t want to write something where I have to make sure I’m tagging different data points to satisfy X. I just want to satisfy me.”
So why is “Resident Evil” the one he chose? It all comes down to both love of the games and complete creative freedom:
“The only reason that I think ‘Resident Evil’ is okay for me to do is that I’m enthusiastic about the games, and I like the story that I thought of with the games, and I’m making it for me. I think this movie is cool, and I hope it checks the fan boxes because I’m a fan and I’m checking my boxes.”
Separately, he also spoke with The Playlist and revealed he mapped out the film’s story before approaching franchise rights holder Constantin Film and securing its approval. Only then did he and Shay Hatten get to work on the script. Asked if he would do a sequel, he said:
“I can’t help thinking about other places this story could go. I’ve got ideas, but this movie hasn’t even come out yet. Let’s see what happens.”
Responding to criticism from people who say this isn’t a “Resident Evil” film, he says:
“I feel like I’ve been on somewhat of an apology tour. I feel like I’m running for office, trying to get these people not to call me a LARPer. Now, I’m just like, ‘You know what? See the movie.’ If you still feel the same way after you’ve seen it, then whatever you think is fair. You’re going to decide if I’m an actual ‘Resident Evil’ fan or a fake. What can I say? I think the movie is going to speak for itself.”
The film is currently tracking for a $45 million opening weekend when it arrives on September 18th.
