Resident Evil movie director says he "took liberties" with the game, which is why there is snow and an iPhone

Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil.

Zach Cregger has talked more about his upcoming Resident Evil movie – specifically why there is snow and an iPhone.

These two details in the trailer caused some consternation from fans as, since the movie is set alongside Resident Evil 2, both create issues in the lore. Resident Evil 2 takes place in late September – so snow would be pretty unseasonal – and it's set in 1998, long before the first iPhone.

"It takes place in the snow in 2026. That's why he has an iPhone. Because I took liberties to tell a story I wanted to tell and make the movie look the way I wanted to make it look," Cregger said at San Diego Comic-Con, via Discussing Film.

Zach Cregger addresses criticisms of including modern phones & snow in his ‘RESIDENT EVIL’ film.“I took liberties to tell a story that I wanted to tell & make the movie look the way I wanted it to look… I think it looks really fucking cool to see a horror movie in the snow.” pic.twitter.com/SPoIc3UORLJuly 24, 2026

"I am not doing exactly a one for one Resident Evil 2 adaptation," he continued. "There are differences between this movie and the game. So I just want to acknowledge that. I don't think it makes the movie any worse. I think it looks really fucking cool to have a horror movie set in the snow. I don't see enough of those, I like it a lot. The snow, it's an aesthetic decision. It's just an aesthetic decision. If the barrier of entry is whether I do a one for one port, then I guess in that regard, I have failed. But I think the movie is stronger for it."

Cregger previously told GamesRadar+ that the movie takes place "on the periphery" of Resident Evil 2. "You know, where Raccoon City is having its big night, but tell just another story that could be happening in parallel to that," he explained.

At Comic-Con, a new clip of the film debuted, too, showing Austin Abrams's Bryan struggling to shoot a zombified woman.

Resident Evil arrives this September 18. For more, check out our guide to upcoming horror movies.

For now, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming movies for everything else that's on the way this year, as well as our SDCC 2026 schedule, our SDCC 2026 live-blog, and our SDCC 2026 predictions to make sure you don't miss a second of the action in San Diego.