Resident Evil Film Set for Late 1998 Timeline, Parallel Storytelling Approach

By Published Apr 30, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Anthony Jadus (Tony) is a New York-based writer and actor with an MFA from Columbia University. Originally from just outside Scranton, PA, he's written for TheGamer and Young Hollywood, and he has been a Movie & TV News Reporter at ScreenRant since 2026.

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The latest movie adaptation of now has a clearer timeline in relation to the games.

Resident Evil is one of the most successful video game horror franchises ever, and its upcoming movie remake marks the latest reboot. There have been multiple live-action adaptations, and although earlier adaptations' reviews have varied, the is rumored to possibly be one of the best yet.

The Resident Evil series is far from the most straightforward, but knowing the order of events brings the experience together even more than ever.

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During a roundtable interview with Cregger attended by ScreenRant, he revealed the film's timeline, saying he wanted it to take place around the events of Resident Evil 2, adding that he wanted it to maintain a similar vibe, pacing and tone to the games. This would set the movie during the Raccoon City outbreak in late 1998, alongside arguably the franchise's most pivotal event. Check out his full comments below:

I wanted to construct a story that could live in the world of Resident Evil and be maybe on the periphery of the events of Resident Evil 2, where Raccoon City is having its big night, but tell another story that could be happening in parallel to that that really honors the vibe and the pacing that you get when you play the games.

Cregger's quote makes it clear that the film is not going to be a direct adaptation of Resident Evil 2, but the film's story will be running alongside it. By placing the story "on the periphery" of Raccoon City's outbreak ("its big night"), he anchors the movie to arguably the franchise's most important event, while avoiding the need to explicitly retell it or do a shot-for-shot remake.

The emphasis on a story "happening in parallel" shows that he wants to expand upon some of the games' overlap in terms of themes and core events. "Vibe and pacing" reflects Cregger's desire to prioritize the experience and flow of the game rather than strictly following the narrative through this very familiar timeline.

Resident Evil 2 represents the center of the franchise's timeline. It depicts the full collapse of Raccoon City, as the T-virus spreads into a city-wide outbreak. The original game features two main characters, Leon S. Kennedy, a rookie police officer, and Claire Redfield, a college student who travels to Raccoon City to find her brother, Chris Redfield.

Rather than attempting to navigate the game's already intricate timeline, Cregger is essentially saying that the new movie will exist in the gaps, including areas in the city yet to be explored, new survivors, and moments that the games didn't depict, but could occur given the circumstances of the outbreak.

Cregger gained a lot of attention with the 2026 horror film Barbarian, which he wrote and directed. It was praised for its unpredictability and tension-driven story. He followed that success with , as it received a near-perfect score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Given this combination, expectations for this new Resident Evil adaptation are high.

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Unlike The Last of Us, which closely adapted from its source material, Cregger's approach is closer to another popular show adapted from a video game — Fallout. It appears that similar to Fallout, , and by setting it alongside Resident Evil 2 rather than recreating it, there is room to expand the franchise while still staying grounded in its chosen world and timeline.

The new Resident Evil film is currently scheduled to be released on September 18, 2026.

Like Follow Followed Sci-Fi Release Date September 18, 2026 Director Zach Cregger Writers Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger