{
  "id": 6785815,
  "title": "'They Thought It Was Too Funny': Zach Cregger Says He's Cut Most of the Jokes From His Resident Evil Movie, Following Test Screenings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/they-thought-it-was-too-funny-zach-cregger-says-hes-cut-most-of-the",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-11T16:55:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/they-thought-it-was-too-funny-zach-cregger-says-hes-cut-most-of-the-jokes-from-his-resident-evil-movie-following-test-screenings"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Resident Evil director Zach Cregger has revealed that he removed most of the movie's jokes following test screenings, as the audience found the film too funny, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cregger, known for combining horror and dark humor in his previous works, such as Weapons and Barbarians, decided to tone down the humor after realizing that while the audience liked the film, they thought it was too humorous. The director pared down the jokes during testing and found that not only did the audience enjoy the movie more, but he also appreciated it more. Cregger maintains that a little bit of humor is sufficient in a horror film, and he does not regret removing any jokes. Ahead of the film's release next week, Cregger has been addressing fan expectations and his decision to focus on an original character and story. He has admitted that he has been on an \"apology tour\" due to explaining his choices, particularly his decision to create a new story for the franchise. Cregger has even suggested that this may be the only franchise he attempts to adapt in the future, though he has not completely ruled out the possibility of working on a sequel, given the positive signs thus far. Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18, promising to be a more serious take on the horror series without overly relying on jokes.",
  "summary": "Resident Evil director Zach Cregger says he's cut most of movie's jokes, after test audiences apparently found the film \"too funny.\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "PC Gamer",
        "title": "Zach Cregger admits 'I was naive' and pre-apologises for his upcoming Resident Evil film, but I don't think he owes us anything",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/zach-cregger-admits-i-was-naive-and-pre-apologises-for-his-upcoming",
        "published": "2026-09-09T15:28:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IndieWire",
        "title": "Zach Cregger Isn’t Sure He Wants Kids — So He Wrote That Anxiety Into ‘Resident Evil’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/zach-cregger-isnt-sure-he-wants-kids-so-he-wrote-that-anxiety-into",
        "published": "2026-09-09T17:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hollywood Reporter",
        "title": "‘Resident Evil’ Filmmaker Zach Cregger Reveals the Key Adjustment He Made After Test Screenings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/resident-evil-filmmaker-zach-cregger-reveals-the-key-adjustment-he",
        "published": "2026-09-10T22:57:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The A.V. Club",
        "title": "Zach Cregger says test audiences convinced him to cut most of Resident Evil's jokes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/zach-cregger-says-test-audiences-convinced-him-to-cut-most-of",
        "published": "2026-09-11T02:32:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}