‘Resident Evil’ Reboot Casts ‘Euphoria’s Austin Abrams in Lead Role

The highly-anticipated reboot of Resident Evil from Barbarian director Zach Cregger may have its lead actor, and he’s already well-versed in the realm of zombies and horror. Deadline reports that Austin Abrams is in early talks to join the Resident Evil cast. No word on what role he’ll be playing, if it will be an established character in the franchise or a new invention from Cregger and co-screenwriter Shay Hatten.

In addition to appearing in Wolfs with Brad Pitt and George Clooney and starring in Euphoria as Ethan Lewis, Abrams played Ron Anderson in nine episodes of The Walking Dead‘s fifth and sixth seasons. The complex young character became an antagonist for Rick Grimes and his gang during their time in the Alexandria Safe Zone. Abrams also appeared in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, so his horror credits are already robust.

Plot details surrounding the new Resident Evil movie, which is being developed at Sony, are being kept under wraps for now, though it’s said to be a return to the roots of the early video games. Early rumors suggested the film might be an adaptation of the 2002 title Resident Evil Zero, which is a prequel to the original 1996 game, but as nothing concrete has been announced at this point, the rumors involving plot and characters are, for now, just that. The film is currently scheduled for release on Sept. 18, 2026.

Cregger’s upcoming film, Weapons, features Abrams alongside Josh Brolin (who reportedly took over for Pedro Pascal), Julia Garner, and Amy Madigan. Described as a multistory horror epic in the vein of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, the film sparked an intense bidding war following the critical and commercial success of Barbarian, with New Line Cinema winning out. Weapons will hit theaters Aug. 8, 2025.

Can Cregger Finanlly Deliver the ‘Resident Evil’ Film Fans Crave?

Resident Evil has a bit of a rocky history on the big and small screens. The first film adaptation came in 2002 from director Paul W.S. Anderson, with Milla Jovovich starring as Alice, a character invented for the movie. It was a big enough hit that it spawned five sequels, each of them a blend of action and horror that liberally borrowed characters and storylines from the various games, each with diminishing returns both creatively and critically.

Next came the reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, an attempt to bring the series back to its basics by adapting the first two video games. This proved to be a lot for one film, and as such, the movie proved middling among critics and fans alike. It currently sits at a lowly 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s critical consensus questioning whether the games are “ill-suited to the big screen.”

Netflix revived the franchise once again with a television series in 2022, but it too proved unpopular and was canceled after one season. Cregger and Sony certainly have their work cut out for them, but if the scares Cregger delivered in Barbarian are an indication of what we have in store, then moviegoers will at least be guaranteed a wild cinematic ride.

Source: Deadline

Resident Evil

Release Date

September 18, 2026

Director

Zach Cregger

Writers

Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger