'Would've killed him': Austin Abrams nearly died filming Resident Evil, reveals director Zach Cregger

Austin Abrams and Zach Cregger. Pic via special arrangement

For a horror film, getting chased by zombies is expected. Getting nearly crushed by a falling 150-pound prop, however, is another matter. Austin Abrams reportedly came dangerously close to serious injury while shooting Zach Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil, with the director revealing just how close one of the film's most ambitious sequences came to turning into a real-life disaster.

Austin Abrams Resident Evil stunt

Set to hit cinemas on September 18, Cregger's Resident Evil is a fresh take on the popular survival-horror franchise. Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier whose routine night takes a terrifying turn when he finds himself caught in the chaos engulfing Raccoon City.

Speaking during a recent interaction reported by Deadline, Cregger explained that he wanted the action to feel as physical as possible rather than relying heavily on visual effects. One sequence sees Bryan sprinting through a street while zombies leap from rooftops and bodies appear to crash down around him.

"I knew I didn't want to do it with VFX because I feel like it would just look like VFX," Cregger said, explaining his decision to create the destruction practically.

To pull off the sequence, the team used huge, body-shaped blood bags suspended from cranes. Abrams had to run through the carefully choreographed chaos as the heavy props dropped around him.

But during filming, one of the bags came dangerously close to the actor. "It would've killed him. If he had been one step to the right, he would've died," Cregger revealed, admitting that the moment left him "pretty stunned".

Despite the frightening near miss, the shot ultimately remained in the film. Cregger said the danger was part of the collaborative process of turning an ambitious idea into something audiences could experience on screen.

The filmmaker, known for Barbarian and Weapons, also reflected on what the experience taught him about filmmaking, saying he felt he had grown considerably while making the movie.

Resident Evil release date

The upcoming film presents an entirely new story within the Resident Evil universe rather than simply revisiting familiar events. At its centre is Bryan, whose ordinary job as a medical courier places him in the middle of a night of escalating horror and survival.

The film promises a combination of horror, action and practical spectacle, with Cregger aiming to give the franchise a distinct cinematic treatment.

With Abrams' close call now revealed, the film's high-intensity sequences may carry an added sense of danger for audiences watching them unfold. Resident Evil is scheduled to release in theatres on September 18 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.