Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL Movie Pulls From The Twisted Creature Ideas From RESIDENT EVIL 6

The upcoming Resident Evil movie from Zach Cregger looks like it’s to be something very different from what fans might expect.

Instead of playing it safe and leaning only on the franchise’s most beloved entries, the film is pulling inspiration from one of its most divisive chapters, Resident Evil 6, and choice might lead to some seriously gnarly creature design.

During a set visit reported by GamesRadar+, production designer Tom Hammock broke down how the team approached building the monsters for the film. Rather than sticking to one specific game, they blended elements from across the series, including both Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 6.

Hammock said: "You'll see a lot of Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 6. So Zach [Cregger, director] and I went through and pulled specific creature elements that we like from the games, whether it's tentacles, the teeth integration, and then tried to take that language and move it over to these creatures."

That approach opens the door for some great unsettling designs. While Resident Evil 4 is loved for its balance of action and horror, Resident Evil 6 went big in every direction.

Released in 2012, the game packed in multiple storylines, massive set pieces, and some pretty over-the-top enemies. It didn’t land for everyone, with criticism aimed at its chaotic structure, boss fights, and constant quick-time events, but one thing it definitely delivered on was sheer creature variety.

It sounds like the movie is tapping directly into that chaotic energy. Hammock went even deeper into the process, revealing that the designs aren’t just pulled from games, but grounded in real-world science before being pushed into nightmare territory.

"I spent a lot of time in medical research libraries, so everything comes from nature," he adds. "But we also went as far as diseases. I used to work as a virologist long ago, so just having access to medical libraries gave us a really grounded starting point for all the creatures. And then you try to mix that with, you know, the insanity."

That mix of realism and horror could be exactly what the franchise needs on the big screen. According to what was seen on set, the creature effects team at Legacy Effects appears to be crafting some seriously disturbing monsters, possibly inspired by grotesque creations like HAOS and the towering Ogroman from Resident Evil 6. If that’s the case, audiences might be in for some truly wild monster visuals.

Of course, it’s not all about the controversial entries. Cregger has also shown love for Resident Evil 4, which many fans consider the gold standard of the series. There’s even a small detail already hiding in plain sight for longtime players.

"I took the green herb from Resident Evil 4 and replicated the bucket exactly… which is probably the game I've played most out of the series," he said.

That kind of attention to detail suggests the movie isn’t just borrowing ideas, it’s embracing the DNA of the games in a way that fans will recognize, whether it’s subtle props or full-on nightmare creatures.

Between the grounded biological inspiration and the willingness to pull from the franchise’s strangest corners, this take on Resident Evil could end up being something uniquely intense.

We’ll find out how it all comes together when Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18.