Zach Cregger apologized in advance for the Resident Evil film adaptation to disgruntled fans – especially for the absence of Leon Kennedy

Zach Cregger, director of the upcoming Resident Evil movie, admitted to a communication misstep with fans and apologized for not meeting the expectations of part of the fanbase. He addressed months of criticism from the fan community in a recent interview.

According to Cregger, he expected fans of the games to embrace his take on the film just as warmly as he does.

I was naive. I thought that fans of these games, like me, would be thrilled that somebody was coming along and turning Resident Evil into a survival horror movie.

One of the biggest sources of frustration is the absence of a storyline centered on Leon Kennedy, one of the franchise most recognizable characters. Plenty of fans have waited years to see his story on the big screen, and Cregger acknowledged that this frustration is fair.

I didn't really appreciate the sentiment that [players] have been waiting forever for Leon's story, and I appreciate that. And I'm sorry that that's not the story that I'm bringing here. I understand the frustration.

Cregger also explained where his sympathy for skeptical fans comes from, noting that he hasn't watched the earlier Resident Evil movies himself, since they don't match his own vision of the series.

I understand [the frustration] so well because I haven't seen the earlier movies, because they don't look like the Resident Evil I love. So how could I be frustrated with fans who have that same attitude?

Cregger said he hopes viewers will still give the movie a chance despite their skepticism and disappointment. He added that real love for the source material runs through the film, rather than the brand simply being slapped on to secure funding.

Because it is there, and this is not just me telling a story and slapping Resident Evil on it so I can get a budget. This is me telling a Resident Evil story.

The situation surrounding the film reflects a familiar problem with video game adaptations – balancing a director's own creative vision against the expectations of a devoted fanbase. Resident Evil has already had several film adaptations, none of which were warmly received by the gaming community, so the skepticism toward Cregger new project didn't come out of nowhere.