A practical stunt on Zach Cregger's Resident Evil put Austin Abrams at real risk, leaving the lead to call the sequence "harrowing." The director later recounted the stunt as one that "would've killed" Abrams if it had gone wrong, a moment that has become central to how the production is being discussed.
The sequence required Abrams to run down a snow-covered road while performers playing zombies leapt from rooftops and struck the pavement around him. Abrams said the combination of choreography and environment made every take tense, and that the crew had to be precise. "One, you don't wanna fuck up the shot," he said. "Also, you don't wanna make a wrong move or something goes wrong. So, it's kind of scary each time."
Abrams reunited with Cregger after working together on Weapons, and he described being "very grateful" the director trusted him with Brian, an original character created for this adaptation. Cregger has said he views Brian as something of an avatar, a role that anchors the film's player point of view. For Abrams that raised a creative question beyond stunt work: how to make a character who functions as an audience proxy still feel like a fully formed person.
That challenge shaped his preparation and performance. Abrams said he was not a fan of the Resident Evil games or films before signing on; he described horror gaming as something that "really goddamn rocks your nervous system" and recalled panicking while trying the opening of Dead Space, thinking, "I can't do this." Those reactions informed how he approached Brian, balancing physical vulnerability with tangible emotional weight and touches of humor.
On set the focus remained on safety and craft, but the episode has already framed the film's release, highlighting the physical demands behind its practical effects and stunt work. Resident Evil is now playing in theaters, where audiences will see whether the risky, close-quarters shooting and the film's player-point-of-view approach paid off.
