The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is finally out, but it's not setting the world on fire, in terms of reviews, at least. However, there is hope on the horizon for video game adaptations, with one of 2026's most anticipated gaming movies receiving a positive update. Following his success on Weapons, director Zach Cregger is next turning his attention to the Resident Evil franchise with an original new film due out in September.
Resident Evil and Mario could not be more different, targeting completely opposite demographics, yet both are adaptations of beloved gaming franchises and part of the video game adaptation trend gripping Hollywood at the moment. Unfortunately, while the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is poised to break big at the box office, like the first film, its reviews tell a different story, and it has earned only 42% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics.
The new Resident Evil film is also facing an uphill battle, given that none of the recent film installments has garnered much critical acclaim. However, there is hope for Cregger's Resident Evil reboot, as industry scooper DanielRPK shared on X that he'd heard a test screening has been held for the new video game movie and that the word is "it's great."
Test screenings are a common part of the editing process for major movies, and while a lot can change between a test screening and the final film, they're generally a good indicator of whether a movie will be received positively or negatively. Past test screening responses to films like Deadpool & Wolverine and Thunderbolts* have been accurate to how the films were widely received, so if the same holds true for Resident Evil in 2026, fans are in for a good time.
Resident Evil is one of the all-time video game horror franchises. Capcom has released over a dozen games in the franchise since 1996, with the most recent, Resident Evil Requiem, still resonating with audiences and earning 89 on Metacritic. This makes it a perfect time for Resident Evil to redeem itself on the film side, and Cregger's adaptation looks like it will follow through on that promise.
Resident Evil is due out on September 18, 2026. The film jettisons continuity from the previous RE films, telling an original story with a new cast that includes Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Kali Reis.
Can Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Break the Game Franchise's Movie Curse?
While video game movies and shows have been having a renaissance in Hollywood thanks to successes like The Last of Us and Fallout, some, like the Super Mario Bros. films, have failed to leave any significant impact beyond the box office. The Resident Evil franchise is definitely subject to this curse, with none of the Milla Jovovich-led films gaining a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, despite there being six of them.
Coming in with a fresh director, particularly Cregger, who's made an impact in recent years with Weapons and Barbarian, and a new cast and story seems like a Hail Mary that the Resident Evil movie franchise needs.
Adding to that are comments from the cast that suggest this will be a Resident Evil movie unlike any other, as it may surprisingly lean into comedy. Kali Reis revealed in an interview that the film is a "comedic kind of journey" and that fans will be "pleasantly surprised:"
"I will say, for the 'Resident Evil' fans, especially people who are gamers, his crack at an origin story — his version of this – is amazing. I think you guys are going to be blown away by his imagination, his ideas, and this kind of comedic kind of journey through this crazy wild time in this 'Resident Evil' story. I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised."
While video game movies remain hit-or-miss despite their renewed popularity in Hollywood, news from Resident Evil's test screenings, promising on-set footage of Raccoon City, and comments from the cast suggest this film will be in the hit category.
