Zach Cregger, director of the acclaimed horror film Barbarian and a member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids You Know, is helming a reboot of the Resident Evil movie franchise. The Hollywood Reporter reports a fierce bidding war is underway for distribution rights, with Netflix and Warner Bros. among the four studios vying for the project. Cregger will write and direct this new adaptation of Capcom's iconic survival horror game series.

Cregger's 2022 film, Barbarian, garnered significant praise for its chilling suspense. He's already completed his next project, Weapons, which reportedly has tested exceptionally well with audiences. [Read our Barbarian review here.]

This will mark the second attempt at rebooting the Resident Evil film franchise. Paul W.S. Anderson's six-film series, starring Milla Jovovich, generated $1.2 billion worldwide, though it deviated significantly from the games' storylines. The 2021 film, Welcome to Raccoon City, directed by Johannes Roberts, aimed for greater faithfulness to the source material but fell short of critical acclaim.

Constantin Film, which produced the previous Resident Evil films, will once again produce this reboot alongside PlayStation Productions. Established in 2019, PlayStation Productions adapts Sony's video game properties for film and television, with past successes including Uncharted (starring Tom Holland), Grand Turismo, the The Last of Us TV series, and Twisted Metal.

Future PlayStation Productions projects include films based on Until Dawn, Days Gone, Ghost of Tsushima, Gravity Rush, Helldivers, and Horizon Zero Dawn, along with an Uncharted sequel. A God of War television series and a recently announced Ghost of Tsushima anime series are also in development.