Sony Reclaims Rights to “Resident Evil” Franchise; Sets 2026 Release Date

by Annika March 8, 2025

Sony has emerged victorious from a fierce bidding war, reclaiming the rights to the Resident Evil movie franchise. Along with these much-contested rights, the studio has also secured collaboration with esteemed filmmaker Zach Cregger. The hotly anticipated project has been slated for release on September 18, 2026.

Sony Reclaims Rights to “Resident Evil” Franchise; Sets 2026 Release Date

– Sony has won a bidding war for the rights to the Resident Evil movie franchise and has set a release date of September 18, 2026, for the project.
– The project will be written and directed by Zach Cregger, known for his work on “Barbarian” and the upcoming “Weapons”.
– The reboot will be produced by Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions; it aims to start shooting by summer.

Sony Studio has successfully emerged as the winner in a fierce bidding war, obtaining not only the rights to the horror-action movie franchise Resident Evil, as per the famed video games, but also the opportunity to collaborate with distinguished filmmaker Zach Cregger. The studio has set a target release date of September 18, 2026, for this illustrious project.

Zach Cregger, lauded for his writing and direction in the commendable horror movie Barbarian and the forthcoming ensemble production Weapons, is poised to hold the same positions in this venture.

In an unusual scenario, the franchise, which has been associated with the Sony subsidiary Screen Gems since the launch of its initial film in 2002, became available in January, instigating a high-profile bidding competition. Achieving victory once again, this time through its Columbia Pictures division, Sony emerged triumphant, resulting in a more substantial budget for the project.

Constantin Film, the owner of the title’s screen rights since the late 90s and instrumental in the creation of the past films, will be producing the franchise reboot, in partnership with PlayStation Productions. The screenplay for the film will be co-written by Shay Hatten, who contributed to high profile films like John Wick: Chapter 4 and Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.

The franchise’s prior films, featuring six movies starring Milla Jovovich, along with an origin film conceived during the pandemic, have proven to be profitable. However, it is the recruitment of Cregger that extensively stimulated the bidders and revitalized the somewhat languishing property.

Cregger’s work in Barbarian is revered in the world of horror cinema. Following the success of Barbarian, his follow-up horror project led to another bidding war, in which the forthcoming film Weapons was secured by Warner’s New Line division, earning him the status of a final cut director. Weapons is set to be released in theaters in January 2026.

Resident Evil is slated as Cregger’s subsequent venture and expected to progress quickly. According to inside sources, Sony along with Constantin intend to commence shooting by summer.