Resident Evil: Zach Cregger changed the ending and shot an alternate
In brief
- Zach Cregger confirmed Resident Evil originally had a different ending and that he shot an alternate as a backup.
- In the first version, the cure would have been destroyed earlier, after a scientist pulled the needle out and Brian grabbed the woman by the face.
- In the final version, Brian stays tied to the syringe and the cure for longer, pushing that part of the ending later.
What happened
Zach Cregger explained in an interview with IGN that the ending of his Resident Evil film was changed from the original script. According to him, the movie first had a different final stretch, but an alternate ending was also filmed as a backup, which he described as a "contingency plan" or "plan B".
The biggest change was the moment when the cure is lost. In the earlier version, that would have happened much sooner, after a scientist pulled the needle out of the syringe and Brian grabbed the woman by the face. In the final version, that beat is delayed, so Brian stays more clearly connected to the cure he carries throughout the film.
The Collider Interviews video with Cregger and Austin Abrams adds context here: the title explicitly mentions an interview about monster design and an alternate ending, while the description focuses on Brian bringing the cure to the final location and taking out the scientists along the way.
Timeline
2026-09-18: Collider Interviews publishes a video with Zach Cregger and Austin Abrams about, among other things, an alternate ending for Resident Evil.
2026-09-20: IGN publishes the article in which Cregger explains that the ending was originally different and that he filmed an alternate as a backup.
2026-09-21: Discussion of the revised ending continues to circulate in ongoing coverage of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil film.
Background
Resident Evil is Zach Cregger's film, with Austin Abrams playing Brian. Based on the source description, part of the finale centers on Brian continuing to transport the cure while taking out the scientists trying to stop him.
The sources indicate that the film had at least one alternate ending, but they do not make clear whether that version was ever released publicly. Based on the provided material, it also remains unclear why the change was made, beyond the note that the later version keeps the build-up around Brian and the cure intact for longer.
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