Following the release of the new Resident Evil movie, fan reactions to the adaptation were sharply divided. One major point of contention was that the creators did not directly adopt the existing video game storyline, nor did they include classic characters like Leon S. Kennedy in the film. Recently, director Zach Cregger responded to the choice of deviating from the game's canonical history.
Craig stated that even if he released a work that exactly replicated a game's plot, audiences might still be disappointed, as adaptations inevitably make mistakes somewhere. All he can do is tell the story he believes is most appropriate. If anyone disagrees with this approach, he has nothing more to say.
Despite mixed opinions among fans, the director's strategy has shown initial success. The film received a B+ rating from CinemaScore, the highest score for the film series to date. It is poised to achieve the second-highest opening weekend performance among horror films that year, trailing only the box office hit The Backrooms.
For gamers, the director's response further clarifies the film's positioning: it borrows from the Resident Evil world and disaster themes, but does not aim to recreate any specific game segment by segment. Whether this direction is accepted still depends on the audience's perspective on the trade-off between faithful adaptation and independent storytelling.