Resident Evil Director Zach Cregger Made One Surprising Change Based On Test Screenings

Set aside any other larger concerns swirling around Zach Cregger's video game movie "Resident Evil," and you'll be left with a stripped-down, heart-in-your-throat thriller that will attempt to reach similar heights as both "Barbarian" and "Weapons." That'll be no easy feat, to say the least, particularly because the element of surprise is no longer in Cregger's favor. Now that he's in charge of an unequivocal studio IP, that inevitably means abiding by all the usual constraints of blockbuster filmmaking: answering to ever-protective studio suits and producers, taking fan expectations of any "Resident Evil" adaptation into account, and, of course, going through the process of test screenings.

While test screenings tend to have a less-than-flattering reputation among fans and opinionated filmmakers, Cregger actually found this invaluable for "Resident Evil" — and went so far as to change a fundamental aspect of his film in response to how viewers reacted. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director explained how he took notes about the humor of the film to heart and reshaped the structure to make it a little more serious.

"I learned that people really liked the movie, but they thought it was too funny. So over the course of my testing, I stripped out as much of the jokes as possible. I then found that not only did the audience enjoy the movie more, but I also liked the movie a lot more. A little bit of humor goes a long way in a horror movie, and there's not a single joke I took out of this movie that I miss. So that perspective was really helpful."

Am I going to get into any trouble for suggesting that Zach Cregger is one of our funniest filmmakers around? As terrifying as "Barbarian" is, I'm not sure I laughed harder during any movie in 2022 than when actor Justin Long did, well, everything he did in that film. In "Weapons," the trio of supporting stars Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and the Oscar-winning Amy Madigan all get to flex their funny bones in some of the most hysterical moments of the entire horror flick. (We won't talk about Cregger's attempted comedy in the 2009 flop "Miss March.")

Personally, I would've been entirely okay with a "Resident Evil" film that generously applied moments of farce and humor amid all of the infected-crazed scares, but Cregger clearly had different ideas. To his credit, few directors would've responded with as much introspection to test-screening criticisms. But despite his initial instincts to lean into the comedy of it all, he let the audience reactions guide him to what was best for the story. And yes, it's worth noting that this is entirely at odds with the fanboy-driven narrative online that "Resident Evil" is somehow meant to be a middle finger directed at fans of the popular video games — not least of all because Cregger himself obviously wears his fandom of the series on his sleeve.

In any case, viewers won't have to wait long to see whether this more measured approach pays off. "Resident Evil" storms into theaters on September 18, 2026. Whether we're laughing or screaming (or both), we'll be seated.