"Barbarian Director to Reboot Resident Evil"

Zach Cregger, renowned for directing the chilling horror film Barbarian and a key member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U' Know, is now steering his talents towards a reboot of the iconic Capcom survival horror franchise, Resident Evil. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a fierce bidding war is underway among four studios, including Netflix and Warner Bros., eager to secure the distribution rights to Cregger's vision of the Resident Evil universe, where he will serve both as writer and director.

Cregger's recent success with Barbarian, a 2022 horror film about a woman uncovering a terrifying secret in a rental house, has set high expectations. Following Barbarian, Cregger has completed his next project, Weapons, which has reportedly received stellar audience feedback.

For those interested, you can delve into our detailed review of Barbarian here.

This *Resident Evil* reboot marks the second attempt to revive the franchise on the screen. Previously, Paul W.S. Anderson directed a series of six films featuring Milla Jovovich, which, while deviating from the original games, amassed a global box office of $1.2 billion. In 2021, Johannes Roberts helmed *Welcome to Raccoon City*, a more faithful adaptation, yet it struggled to capture the essence of Capcom's acclaimed series.

Constantin Film, the production company behind Anderson's films and Welcome to Raccoon City, will once again be at the helm of this upcoming reboot, this time in collaboration with PlayStation Productions. Established in 2019 by Sony, PlayStation Productions has been instrumental in bringing video game narratives to the screen, including the film Uncharted with Tom Holland, Gran Turismo, the TV series The Last of Us, and Twisted Metal.

Looking ahead, PlayStation Productions has an ambitious lineup that includes 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 series and a Ghost of Tsushima anime series are also in development, expanding the universe of PlayStation's beloved titles into new media formats.