Zack Cregger Was Right to Cut Jokes From His Resident Evil Movie

Zack Cregger removed jokes from his Resident Evil film during editing after test screenings showed audiences found it too funny, a change he says improved the movie. The film, inspired by Resident Evil 2, is now in theaters. Cregger, known for Barbarian and Weapons, told The Hollywood Reporter that test audiences liked the film but thought it was too comedic. He stripped out as many jokes as possible, finding both audiences and himself preferred the result, noting "a little bit of humor goes a long way in a horror movie." The director, who rose from comedy sketch group The Whitest Kids U' Know, chose not to directly adapt the games or feature Leon Scott Kennedy, instead focusing on capturing the tone and rhythm of the source material. He also avoided a purely first-person perspective, favoring a blend of angles to honor each moment.