"Barbarian Director to Helm Resident Evil Reboot"

Zach Cregger, renowned for directing the chilling horror film "Barbarian" and a key member of the comedy ensemble The Whitest Kids You Know, is now setting his sights on a fresh reboot of the iconic Capcom franchise, Resident Evil. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a fierce bidding war has emerged among studios eager to secure the distribution rights for Cregger's vision of the survival horror series, with Cregger slated to both write and direct this new take. Currently, four studios, including Netflix and Warner Bros., are in the race to bring this project to audiences.

Cregger's recent success with "Barbarian," a 2022 horror movie about a woman uncovering a terrifying secret in a rental house, has put him in the spotlight. His next project, "Weapons," has reportedly received high praise in audience tests, further solidifying his reputation in the horror genre.

For those interested, our review of "Barbarian" is available here.

This upcoming Resident Evil reboot marks the second attempt to revitalize the franchise on screen. Previously, a series of six films directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, which loosely followed the game's narrative, amassed a global box office total of $1.2 billion. More recently, in 2021, Johannes Roberts' "Welcome to Raccoon City" aimed for a closer adaptation but fell short of the quality set by Capcom's original games.

Constantin Film, in collaboration with PlayStation Productions, will produce this latest reboot. PlayStation Productions, established by Sony in 2019 to adapt its gaming IPs into films and series, has already overseen projects like "Uncharted" starring Tom Holland, "Gran Turismo," "The Last of Us" TV series, and "Twisted Metal."

Looking ahead, PlayStation Productions has a robust lineup including adaptations of "Until Dawn," "Days Gone," "Ghost of Tsushima," "Gravity Rush," "Helldivers," "Horizon Zero Dawn," and a sequel to "Uncharted." Additionally, a "God of War" TV show and a "Ghost of Tsushima" anime series have been announced, expanding the reach of Sony's gaming universe into new entertainment formats.