Mikey Madison reportedly tapped for lead role in Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ reboot, sony sets 2026 release

Mikey Madison is in talks to star in Zach Cregger's ‘Resident Evil’ reboot following her Oscar win for 'Anora'.

Fresh off her Academy Award win for Anora, actress Mikey Madison may be headed straight into zombie territory. According to industry sources, Madison has been offered the lead female role in Zach Cregger’s upcoming Resident Evil reboot, with Austin Abrams already confirmed to star.

Cregger, best known for his work on Barbarian and the upcoming Weapons, is set to write and direct the film under Sony Pictures. The project generated significant interest earlier this year, sparking a bidding war between major studios, including Warner Bros and Netflix. Ultimately, Sony secured the deal and has scheduled the release for September 18, 2026.

Madison, who turned 26 this week, gained initial fame through her role in FX’s Better Things and later appeared in Scream (2022) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Her recent Oscar win has elevated her to Hollywood’s A-list, and the potential Resident Evil role could mark her big-budget franchise debut.

The film will follow a courier, played by Abrams, who is sent to deliver a package to a remote hospital. Upon arrival, he becomes entangled in a deadly outbreak, battling his way through a hospital overrun with mutated creatures. The premise promises a tense, action-packed narrative that blends horror with high-stakes survival.

Production is expected to begin in autumn 2025, just weeks after Cregger’s Weapons premieres. The director is reportedly earning $20 million for this reboot, emphasising the studio’s commitment to revitalising the franchise.

While Madison has yet to confirm her involvement, her casting would signal a strong creative pairing with Cregger and a new direction for the long-running video game adaptation series.