After Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie hits screens next year, the Weapons director was due to release a sci-fi movie under Netflix, but the project has now been delayed.
The film, titled The Flood, has been "stalled" due to the streamer not wanting to give the movie a theatrical release, as reported by TheWrap. The Barbarian director penned the upcoming movie after making Weapons, and decided to go forward with the project under Amblin and Netflix after the streamer promised to give the film a theatrical run.
According to TheWrap, Netflix Films chairman Dan Lin flew to Prague sometime in summer 2025 to meet with Cregger as he prepped for his upcoming Resident Evil movie with Sony. It is said that that is when Lin promised theatrical commitment. However, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos later shot down The Flood's theatrical release. With Cregger adamant on The Flood being shown on the big screen, the project is now in limbo.
An undisclosed source close to the situation told TheWrap, "The real question is whether Netflix backs down or they let Cregger take it out [to a different studio] because Zach remains committed to a theatrical release." Whilst another said that the project has not been stalled but is in "active development" with talks "still ongoing."
The news comes just weeks after Sandros made clear during the streamer’s third-quarter earnings call that, despite KPop Demon Hunter's box office success, "there’s no change... Our strategy is to give our members exclusive first-run movies on Netflix." But that doesn't mean the streamer will stop showing some projects on the big screen. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was shown in theaters first in October, and Stranger Things season 5's finale is due to hit the big screen on New Year's Day 2026.
Cregger has shown his capability this year, with his horror movie Weapons debuting to rave reviews and box office success this summer. The film managed to earn over $267 million worldwide, as per Box Office Mojo. Cregger's next movie to hit screens is his take on the beloved Resident Evil video game franchise, starring Austin Abrams.
For more, check out the best Netflix movies you should be watching, and keep up with upcoming movies heading your way.
