Director Zach Cregger has rapidly become one of the most coveted filmmakers in Hollywood. His 2022 breakout feature, Barbarian, was a critical and commercial darling, earning widespread praise for its shocking narrative twists and grossing over $45 million worldwide against a tiny $4.5 million budget. Cregger followed that success with this summer’s Weapons, a sprawling mystery thriller that has also dominated at the box office, becoming 2025’s longest-running domestic chart-topper. With two acclaimed hits in a row, news that the director had secretly penned a script set within DC’s Gotham City immediately captured the attention of fans. Over the past several months, rumors circulated online about the project, with many speculating it was a story centered on The Joker and Harley Quinn. Now, Cregger is setting the record straight on his potential future in the DC Universe.
“This is getting blown out of proportion online,” Cregger said during an appearance at Double Toasted. “It’s not a Joker and Harley Quinn script. I’ve not talked to James Gunn about it. I have [two films] in front of me. People have written a lot about it online, and not much of it is true.”
While Cregger shot down the most prominent rumors, he did confirm the project exists and is something he remains passionate about. Previous reports have revealed that the script focuses on a low-level Gotham goon. Cregger has previously told ComicBook that he considers it his favorite piece of writing and would prioritize making the film for DC Studios if the opportunity arose. For now, the filmmaker has other commitments, but with the script completed, the door remains open for him to tackle the world of Gotham in the future.
Zach Cregger Will Tackle Resident Evil Next
Before Zach Cregger can potentially turn his attention to the henchmen of Gotham, he is set to direct a cinematic reboot of the iconic video game franchise Resident Evil. His attachment signals a significant new direction for the property, which has a long history on the big screen. The most well-known adaptations are the six films directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, a series that, while commercially successful, gradually moved away from the games’ horror roots into sci-fi action. A more recent attempt, 2021’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, aimed for a more faithful adaptation but was criticized for cramming too many game storylines into a single film and for missing the mark with characters.
As a massive fan of the Resident Evil video games, Cregger intends to deliver an experience that is authentic to the source material’s tone and pacing. The director has been clear that he will not be adapting the stories of established heroes like Leon S. Kennedy, explaining that those narratives are already perfectly told within the games. Instead, the film will introduce new figures into the familiar, terrifying world, creating a story that operates separately from the main characters of the games. This approach allows Cregger to leverage his talent for original, character-driven horror, as seen in Barbarian and Weapons, while still honoring the foundational elements that have made Resident Evil a beloved franchise for decades.
Weapons is currently playing in theaters. The new Resident Evil film is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 18, 2026.
Do you want Zach Cregger to make his DC henchman movie? Let us know in the comments!
