Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” Test Screenings Draws Comparison to “Mad Max: Fury Road”

According to the latest whispers from Hollywood test screenings, the upcoming “Resident Evil” reboot is supposedly drawing heavy comparisons to none other than “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Yes, you read that correctly. Hold onto your green herbs and popcorn, because things are about to get weird, and pretty interesting.

The Unending Quest for a Good Resident Evil Movie

One of the most surprising and unexpected movie industry announcements early last year was the news that Cregger would be writing and directing the next “Resident Evil” reboot movie. Cregger has made his mark in the movie industry with of original horror projects like “Weapons” and “Barbarian.”

If there is one video game franchise that Hollywood simply refuses to let die, it is “Resident Evil.” We’ve had the action-heavy Milla Jovovich era that spanned over a decade and increasingly defied the laws of physics. We had the supposedly “faithful” “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” reboot that came and went with a whimper.

Can a High-Octane Action Style Work for Resident Evil?

Of course, who could forget the short-lived Netflix series featuring a giant CGI caterpillar and some very questionable teenage drama? Just when you thought the cinematic T-Virus had finally been contained, a brand-new “Resident Evil” reboot is reportedly in the works, and the early whispers are genuinely baffling.

According to recent test screening reactions, the action in this upcoming film is being heavily compared to George Miller’s chaotic masterpiece, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” We are talking about a survival horror franchise known for claustrophobic mansions, limited ammo, and agonizingly slow door-opening animations, suddenly being likened to a high-octane, gas-guzzling vehicular war epic.

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A New Reboot (Because Why Not?)

Cregger spoke about the film via Bloody Disgusting and said, ““I am a gigantic Resident Evil game fan. I’ve played them all. I don’t know how many times I’ve just looped [RE4] again and again. I just love it. I’m definitely not trying to be completely obedient to the lore of the games.” Sounds like he will give a completely different take in the reboot.

The real curveball here, however, is the alleged involvement or thematic influence of Zach Cregger. Cregger is a filmmaker who understands how to subvert expectations. If someone with his level of chaotic horror-comedy energy is anywhere near this project, it might just explain why the early reactions sound so completely unhinged. So, how exactly does a Resident Evil movie end up drawing comparisons to Mad Max: Fury Road?

Could the New Resident Evil Movie Return to a Post-Apocalyptic World?

Perhaps we are looking at a scenario set in the aftermath of the global T-Virus outbreak, akin to “Resident Evil: Extinction.” You know, the one where Alice had psychic powers and fought mutant crows in the desert. If the filmmakers are revisiting that post-apocalyptic vibe but injecting it with the adrenaline of George Miller’s directing style, it could either be the greatest video game movie ever made or a spectacularly entertaining disaster.

The fan base has been begging for a truly terrifying, claustrophobic adaptation of the first game for decades. We want the creeping dread of the original PS1 classic, the atmospheric tension of the “Resident Evil 2” remake, or the grimy, backwoods horror of “Resident Evil 7.” Instead, it sounds like Hollywood is once again leaning hard into the action-heavy elements that alienated core fans during the Paul W.S. Anderson era.

According to Deadline, Constantin Film CEO Oliver Berben said, that it was a no brainer to give Cregger “the carte blanche to do whatever he wanted to do with that IP.” If they are going to make a dumb, loud, action-packed zombie movie, they might as well go all out. If you are going to ignore the survival horror roots, at least give us a flaming guitar player riding on top of a reinforced tactical truck while getting chased by a massive, mutated Tyrant

If this new iteration of “Resident Evil” manages to capture even a fraction of the kinetic energy that made “Mad Max” so iconic, we might finally get a movie that breaks the curse of mediocre video game adaptations. It might not be the quiet, terrifying survival horror experience the purists want, but it sure sounds like it won’t be boring.