Despite previously stating that his new Resident Evil movie takes place "on the periphery" of Resident Evil 2, Zach Cregger says he took a lot of inspiration from Resident Evil 4 and 7, and we can already see the links.
"I like the idea of borrowing the rhythm and scale from [Resident Evil] 4 and using some of the character elements from [Resident Evil] 7," said Cregger at a Resident Evil Reddit AMA on September 1, via DiscussingFilm.
We can already see the connection between Resident Evil 7 and the movie before it has hit screens. The seventh game, titled Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, moves away from following the super-capable protagonist and US special agent Leon Kennedy and focuses on Ethan Winters as he searches for his missing wife in a plantation overrun with the infected.
"[Resident Evil] 7 is when Ethan comes into it, and I like that you're just a normal dude going through this horrible situation," adds Cregger. The movie's lead, Bryan (Austin Abrams), is a normal guy who clocks in for his usual shift as a medical courier. But on his way to deliver in Racoon City, he just so happens to find himself in the middle of an all-out apocalypse. Plus, much like Ethan, Bryan also finds himself on a creepy farm.
However, Resident Evil 4 is worlds away, following Leon on a mission in Spain to rescue the president's daughter from a cult. "4 has the rhythm that I really like where you're moving from set piece to set piece and location to location," added the Weapons director. "4 is such a big game. You go through all these different – it feels like worlds, from the village to the castle, to the island. It's just like, it keeps giving and giving."
It seems like Cregger is cherry-picking details from throughout the franchise. When we caught up with the director in Prague during our Resident Evil set visit, Cregger told us that although he sees the film as a standalone piece, it does take place at the same time as the second game. "You know, where Raccoon City is having its big night, but tell just another story that could be happening in parallel to that."
Production designer Tom Hammock added, "We really designed the city based on Resident Evil 2, trying to get that look." However, when Hammock showed us his pretty impressive creature wall, featuring mock-ups of zombified rats, dogs, and more, he revealed that he took a lot of inspiration from Resident Evil 4 and 6.
Resident Evil arrives in theaters on September 18. For more, check out our guide to the best Resident Evil games, and keep up with other upcoming video game movies on the way.
