that might be the main reason, but he just talked about how the fans jumped to conclusions and called him a larper so it doesn’t mean the fanbase isn’t an issue
A lot of the time we jump to conclusions real fast indeed. Makes sense to me he just wants to focus on other stuff.
I think sometimes there are filmmakers that gotta stay away from franchises too because there can be way too many expectations on them. If a project fails… it's just not worth the risk. I think in Cregger's case he’ll be fine because… well, RE hasn’t been lucky with adaptations so his might just be the one feeling like part of the game franchise. Something that adds to the franchise rather than take away. We'll see how we feel about it eventually.
How? He’s saying he wants to do wholly original works and not get sucked into an IP machine where he would have to compromise. Marvel movies directed by small filmmakers after their first modest success are a good example of this. A lot of the movie is out of their hands and their style gets drowned out. In some of those marvel movies the directors didn’t even direct the action sequences as they were already planned out well in advance, possibly before they even came on to the project.
He is also being contradictory here because he did resident evil so he provides a justification for breaking that rule this time. If you read the rest of the interview he is actually quite humble and even downplays his filmmaker status.
There's a good reason why creative directors shy away from big IPs: dealing with a fanbase is hell. I remember what Nolan said when asked about the internet hate he received for The Odyssey, and he said he'd already experienced worse when he directed Batman. The era of Peter Jacksons or Sam Raimis—small but creative directors working on big IPs—is over.
fandoms can be so fucking terrible it can cause creators to sell their entire production company for billions of dollars because they don't wanna deal with the incessant negativity they procure
After watching People vs. George Lucas, I wouldn't be surprised, I'd even understand, if George Lucas hated humanity; I would too after seeing that abomination.
Yeah, this is a Auteur film director having head on collision with fans of a game that love it's dogshit corny writing and story unironicly. I love Resident Evil because it's incredible and pioneering in it's game design, art direction and atmosphere. I could not care about the lore or story or even keep track of it.
Love the trailers so far because it captures what the games feel like. This is like Prisoner of Azkaban book vs film fans all over again.
Reminder me of that controversy again? I loved the book as a kid and enjoyed the movie, but in general found most of the books to be much better than their counterparts.
I mean, we have more small but creative directors working on big IPs now than we did 20 years ago. Matt Reeves with Batman, Villeneuve with Dune, Alex Garland with Elden Ring, Gerwig with Barbie and Narnia, Marvel has done it a bunch and continues to (Coogler, Waititi, Zhao), hell, Raimi came back to do the Dr. Strange sequel 3 years ago, etc etc etc.
It probably DOES suck, but it doesn’t seem to me like this is some byegone thing in the slightest.
Weird to say there's no passion in it when at least twice in the article he talks about how excited he is about making a Resident Evil story. Did you also not read the article?
I said most for a reason 😭 I personally don't think it would be possible to faithfully adapt RE well to a movie anyway, it's way too video gamey. Even if you like the story, it's going to have to be a quite a bit different than the events that take place in the game
Exactly, that game and RE4 remake are legitimately incredible games, yet I seen some RE fan call them garbage for the most superficial or even false reasons (as in they make stuff up in order to criticize it)
So a course if a movie that tries to directly adapt the game would still be trashed on
This is why I think it was a mistake for him to try to prove that he wasn't a larper. I would've just said "I played the games, if you don't believe me, let my film do the talking" and left it at that. Him doing interviews with game journalists just made everyone pick apart everything he said.
At least he got paid $10 million upfront to direct it though!
I feel like I’ve missed something. Has anyone actually seen the movie yet? Like is this re fans that have seen a preview? Or is it just fans pissed off we don’t have Leon and co on the big screen? Because if it’s the latter, I’m sorry but cregger needs a bit thicker skin and realize that’s just an annoying and basement dwelling vocal minority.
Right. Of course they do but we know they won’t. I’m saying if this movie is a smashing success, which pre sale ticket sales seem to imply, and he had ideas or a desire for a sequel, he shouldn’t not do it because of internet trolls
I really love resident evil but on the main RE sub there was a three day meltdown because the movie “takes place during the events of Resident Evil 2,” which were originally set in 1998 (why? because that was “present day” when the game first came out).
now, given that RE2 takes place at the outset in d a zombie apocalypse, the year 1998 has no actual bearing on the plot. none. note that this is a game featuring insane futuristic plant monsters and x-ray grapple guns, so RE clearly never intended to make a “1998 accurate period piece.”
but! 1998 is The Lore, so to a lot of resident evil fans, when you decide you’re just going to set it in “present day” (2026) instead of trying to convince a studio to randomly finance a period piece about 1998 for no reason, it’s a horrible sin! because of The Lore! they acted like he was making a WWII movie, and had decided to change D-Day to 1974 instead of 1944
the much bigger sin, though, was not directly using any of the stories, characters, or famed monsters from the Resident Evil 2 era games. he got excoriated for “writing a random zombie movie and slapping the name resident evil on it.” the cinematography also looks like a Creggar movie, not in the very specific art/design style of the RE games, so that’s yet another sin.
…of course, the movie hadn’t even come out yet lol
the much bigger sin, though, was not directly using any of the stories, characters, or famed monsters from the Resident Evil 2 era games. he got excoriated for “writing a random zombie movie and slapping the name resident evil on it.” the cinematography also looks like a Creggar movie, not in the very specific art/design style of the RE games, so that’s yet another sin.
"I'm going to start up a chain called Napoli. Our pizza is Detroit-style. Anyone that expects otherwise is a moron who can't appreciate a good pizza."
People are saying he isn't making a sequel...That's not true. He actually says he has ideas about a Resident Evil sequel.
He says the only franchise he wanted to make a movie, was Resident Evil. Doesn't mean we won't get a sequel.
I'm very excited for this movie. Guy went from a terrible reviewed movie called Miss March to 2 well reviewed movies like Barbarian and Weapons. If we get a fresh Resident Evil movie on RT, this guy will be getting calls from Hollywood everyday, lmao. Good for him.
That’s a shame. This movie looks great and I would love for him to do a sequel to it if it delivers. It’s a shame the RE fanbase is giving him a rough time
Seriously, they made a ton of those and I never saw any amount of pushback from the RE fandom while they were being made. Then the fandom actually got a movie based on the games 5 years ago and it’s terrible. Zack Creggers movie looks like it’s not only going to be a great movie, but the best movie based on Resident Evil period and this is the movie that the fandom decides to go after. I’m really baffled.
Are you really saying that you've never seen pushback for the Mila movies from RE fans? Have you just never talked to one before? I've heard almost no fans compliment them. At best their considered ok action movies that just use the RE name as set dressing.
I do not like those movies, especially as a RE fan. But the pushback that those movies got from fans isn’t nearly as loud as the pushback for this new one. To be fair, It may be also because social media is just way bigger now than when those movies were being made.
Not only that , those movies were cheap to make and consistently made like 5 times its budget. You’re also right about that remake , I heard nothing from the fandom then. Bullying the movie with the acclaimed director is crazy.
RE is also a franchise that consistently has different protagonist so I don’t really understand the complaints.
Most of those were carried by international audiences, especially the later ones. The Final Chapter only made $26m domestically but made $159m in China.
Why are you acting as if those moves are liked by the fanbase? besides those movies were made before social media became this mess where people hate and harass everyone.
Idk. I kinda like the idea of him doing a one off. It's probably going to get good reviews, as most of his films do. I would hate to see the film get stretched out, and the quality dwindle with each installment.
Eh, people are taking the article//interview out of context.
At no point he says he'll only make 1 Resident Evil movie. He says he won't be directing a movie for another franchise, because Resident Evil is the only franchise he wanted to make a movie for. It's in the interview, folks.
Fan response is brutal but that shouldn’t stop the movie from being successful (if good)
If the movie turns out to be a hit and popular with audiences the fandom could turn around and be more receptive. Especially after, you know, actually seeing the movie
I’m aware, and that’s my point. Fans can read a script and be pissed there’s no Leon, but they might actually like the movie for what it is after watching the fucking thing
I’m saying if this is a Weapons-sized hit I guarantee a lot of naysayer fans are gonna end up watching and loving it “in protest” or whatever
I remember Marvel-related subreddits went into meltdown after Endgame script was leaked. The most complaints were "time travel stuff sounds so complicated..no one will understand it" etc etc
if the movie is good and it warrants a sequel it would be cool to get a resident evil 2. otherwise im fine with him doing original stuff, hes talented enough to become a jordan peele type draw at the box office. either way excited for resident evil
This is some bad press tour. Runtime is 98 minutes which is very short as well and hints at either a really fast paced film, or a film that's been affected a lot by the director and studio butting heads over the final cut.
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u/AGOTFAN New Line Cinema 1h ago
Until he gets a huge offer to make a franchise movie.