Chandler Riggs has made a Resident Evil 7 fan film and wants Zach Cregger to know he’s available for another trip into Capcom’s horror universe. The actor, best known as Carl in The Walking Dead, plays Ethan Winters in a short built around the game’s garage fight with Jack Baker.
In an interview with IGN, Riggs said he’d welcome a collaboration if Cregger continues making Resident Evil films. His invitation was direct: “Listen, my phone is open. Hit my line!” That’s an expression of interest, not a casting announcement or confirmation that the pair have a project together.
IGN reports that the fan film arrives online on 14 October, with Jason Douglas playing Jack Baker opposite Riggs. The short runs for roughly 20 minutes, rather than attempting a feature-length retelling of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
A familiar fight, with Ethan’s face on screen
Riggs chose a specific encounter to adapt: Ethan’s garage showdown with the Baker family patriarch. His ambition was to bring a recognisable part of the game to live action, rather than use the franchise as a loose starting point for a different story.
There is one deliberate departure. Riggs shows Ethan’s face, breaking with the game’s approach to its protagonist. In the interview, he described considering whether the film could stay entirely in first person or otherwise keep Ethan out of view. He ultimately decided that showing the character was necessary to tell the story for an audience beyond people who had played the game.
That choice also explains why he isn’t dismissive of Cregger’s less literal approach. Riggs acknowledged that adapting iconic characters such as Leon and Jill would be difficult, and said he respected a filmmaker choosing a different direction. Faithfulness, in his account, doesn’t mean reproducing every rule of the original format.
The timing wasn’t quite what he intended. Riggs said his team was already in pre-production when news of Cregger’s adaptation emerged, and initially wanted to release their short first. That didn’t happen. Cregger’s film has since reached cinemas, with tbreak reporting that Resident Evil passed Weapons at the worldwide box office.
An invitation, not a sequel deal
Riggs would also like to make a feature-length Resident Evil 7 adaptation someday. For now, that remains an ambition separate from the short’s online release. His comments focus on wanting to collaborate and spend more time on film sets, including creating projects himself when other opportunities aren’t there.
Cregger’s next Resident Evil move isn’t settled by that enthusiasm. His work on this film has already included choices beyond a straight game adaptation, including an alternative ending he previously discussed. Riggs’ invitation doesn’t establish whether Cregger will return or what another film would cover.
Separately, Tampa Theatre’s official event listing advertises an evening with Riggs, including a preview of his newest project and an onstage conversation with Film Tampa Bay’s Tyler Martinolich. The listing doesn’t identify that project by title, so it isn’t confirmation of a separate Biohazard screening date.
When does Chandler Riggs’ Resident Evil fan film release?
IGN lists 14 October as the online release date. Its interview doesn’t provide a viewing link or an exact release time.
Is Chandler Riggs joining Zach Cregger’s next Resident Evil film?
No collaboration is confirmed in the interview. Riggs has expressed interest in working with Cregger if the director continues in the franchise.
