Zach Cregger’s 2026 reboot of Resident Evil is already being called one of the best video game adaptations ever made. But while the story is set in a snowy, infected American town, the cameras never once left Central Europe.
The entire film was shot across the Czech Republic, using real streets, industrial ruins, Cold War military bases, and underground sewers to build a version of Raccoon City that feels terrifyingly real.
So where exactly was Resident Evil (2026) filmed? Let’s break it down, location by location.
Resident Evil (2026) at a Glance
| Director | Zach Cregger |
| Screenplay | Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten |
| Cinematographer | Dariusz Wolski |
| Filming Dates | October 10, 2025 – January 17, 2026 |
| Filming Country | Czech Republic |
| Principal City | Prague |
| Studio | Jordan Studios and Barrandov Studios |
| Service Production | Stillking Films |
| Budget | $75 million |
| Box Office (Opening) | $108.3 million |
| Release Date | September 18, 2026 |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Running Time | 95 minutes |
| IMAX | Yes |
Resident Evil (2026) Filming Locations
Resident Evil (2026) was filmed almost entirely in the Czech Republic. Prague served as the main production base, with additional locations used in Litoměřice, Milovice, Třeboradice, and the Czech mountains. The Czech Film Commission recorded 62 official filming days between October 2025 and January 2026.
The Czech capital’s varied architecture was key. Prague’s grid of century-old apartment blocks could be dressed to resemble small-town Middle America. Industrial sites added scale. Underground infrastructure added dread. Put together, they created a fictional Raccoon City, Colorado that audiences genuinely believed.
Litoměřice, Czech Republic
Filming on Resident Evil officially began on October 10, 2025, in Litoměřice. This is a medieval town in the Ústí nad Labem Region, located roughly 64 kilometers north of Prague near the German border.
The specific location used was the Litoměřický tunel, a disused former railway tunnel running beneath the town’s ancient walls. The production converted it into a makeshift bikers’ club within the story, but on set it served as the location for some of the film’s darkest and most atmospheric sequences.
Supervising location manager Robert Mehrle described the tunnel shoot as particularly demanding. One location near the German border involved filming in temperatures of -18°C, with real and artificial snow combined. He noted it took three months to clean up the site after production wrapped.
A large lighting package had to be trucked in to illuminate the tunnel. Stillking Films, the Prague-based service production company, coordinated all logistics on the ground.
Other productions that filmed near Litoměřice: The Czech-German border region and its industrial landscape have attracted productions including The Empress (Netflix) and portions of Martin Scorsese’s What Happens At Night, which also used Czech locations during the same general period.
Karlín District, Prague 8
One of the film’s largest and most visually memorable sequences was shot in Karlín, the eighth district of Prague, between October 29 and November 2, 2025.
The specific streets used were Jirsíkova, Malého, Pernerova, and Vítkova, all located near the historic Negrelli Viaduct. Night shoots ran daily from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., with the crew covering entire streets in artificial snow.
The scene involved gunfire, explosions, and a car chase. The crew dressed a local restaurant called Indian by Nature as the fictional “Oak Street Diner.” Set dressing included a fabricated Raccoon City transit map, American-style shopfronts, and vehicles fitted with Colorado license plates.
Karlín was chosen partly for practical reasons. Its century-old apartment facades and regular street grid closely resemble a Mid-Western American town. That meant less construction and more dressing, which saved time and money on a tight schedule.
Other productions that filmed in Karlín: The district has hosted numerous international productions over the years, given its proximity to Barrandov Studios and its flexible street grid. Productions including Foundation (Apple TV+) have also used Prague’s inner districts for their European shoots.
Holešovice District, Prague 7
From November 14 to 17, 2025, the production moved to Přístavní Street in Holešovice, between Komunardů and Osadní streets.
Prague’s municipal authorities described the shoot as a night scene involving car wrecks and fake snow.
Photographs from the set showed the neighborhood heavily disguised with American-style signage. Fake storefronts including “Belle’s Collectibles” and “Jackson’s Bait and Tackle” were erected to turn a Czech street into a small American town mid-collapse.
Practical gore effects, burned-out vehicles, and blood splatter were placed throughout the block. Again, the shoot ran nightly from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., and the street was fully closed to traffic for the duration.
Holešovice gave the production a different urban texture compared to Karlín, which helped the filmmakers expand Raccoon City’s geography without leaving Prague.
Other productions that filmed in Holešovice: The district’s industrial-residential mix has made it popular for productions requiring gritty urban texture. Snowpiercer and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, both serviced in Prague by Stillking Films, used similar Prague neighborhoods for European-doubling work.
Koh-i-noor Industrial Complex, Prague
The former Koh-i-noor industrial complex in Prague was another confirmed production site. Residents in the surrounding area were notified that filming would take place on the nights of November 8 and 9, 2025.
The production warnings issued to locals give a vivid snapshot of what the shoot involved: simulated gunfire, shouting, running, and zombie noises. These practical, on-location effects rather than purely digital ones reflect director Zach Cregger’s overall approach to the material.
The industrial texture of the Koh-i-noor site provided the kind of visual authenticity that a purpose-built set rarely achieves. Facilities like this are long-standing favorites of productions that need scale and atmosphere without the complications of central-city permits.
Papírenská Street, Prague
Papírenská Street is listed by the Czech Film Commission among the confirmed Prague filming locations for Resident Evil. Its inclusion demonstrates how extensively the production used real-world Prague environments rather than confining the film to controlled studio stages.
For a survival-horror movie, utilitarian and industrial-looking streetscapes are particularly valuable. The franchise has always relied on laboratories, warehouses, and service corridors, and locations like Papírenská Street helped supply that atmosphere without major construction.
Prague Congress Centre
The Prague Congress Centre, a large-scale modernist building in Prague 4 that overlooks the Nusle Valley, is also listed among the confirmed production locations by the Czech Film Commission.
The building is well known internationally and has appeared in productions including parts of the James Bond franchise. For Resident Evil, its parking garages beneath the convention center were used during the shoot, according to supervising location manager Robert Mehrle.
Historical Wastewater Treatment Plant (Prague Sewer Museum)
One of the more unusual and striking locations used in the film was Prague’s brick sewer system at the Historical Wastewater Treatment Plant, which operates today as a museum.
Mehrle described the architecture as being reminiscent of Victorian London construction: red bare bricks, vaulted halls, and underground tunnels. The production used the existing sewer infrastructure as part of the film’s story, rather than building replica sets.
It was one of approximately 14 to 15 real locations that Mehrle estimates the production used in total, a high number for a studio horror film.
Former Cold War Rocket Base Near Dobříš
Among the most remarkable of all the locations was an abandoned former Communist rocket base in the woods near Dobříš, a town roughly 40 kilometers south of Prague.
The site once housed rocket launching pads intended to protect Prague during the Cold War era. Its combination of military architecture, woodland setting, and total abandonment made it ideally suited for a horror film set in a world coming apart at the seams.
This kind of location is exactly what Mehrle’s team spent months seeking. He described the process as searching for hidden gems, with his team presenting between 20 and 50 location options for each specific requirement in the script.
Purpose-Built American Farm, Outskirts of Prague
For scenes set on or near an American farm, no existing Czech location was right. So the production built one.
Approximately 20 minutes outside Prague, the art department constructed an entire farm from scratch, including the barn and the surrounding environment. It was a full construction project undertaken specifically for the film.
This purpose-built set highlights how seriously the production took the task of making a Czech location feel like rural Colorado. When an existing site could not do the job convincingly, they built what they needed.
Czech Mountains
Filming also took place in the Czech mountains, adding a third distinct visual register to the film beyond urban streets and industrial interiors.
Mehrle described the mountain shoot as a logistical challenge. Access to the summit was via a single road, and the production had to schedule around an international ski competition that was taking place in the same area.
The snowy mountain environment required both real snow and additional artificial snow to create a consistent visual. It gave the film sequences that look nothing like Prague’s streets, adding genuine geographical variety to Raccoon City’s geography.
Milovice, Czech Republic
Milovice, a former military town northeast of Prague, was also used during the shoot. It has been a long-standing favorite of international productions that need former Soviet-era military infrastructure.
The town’s abandoned barracks and military buildings supply the kind of institutional architecture that serves horror and action films well. Stillking Films has used Milovice repeatedly across its production history, meaning the location was already well-mapped before Resident Evil arrived.
Třeboradice Heating Plant, Prague
The Třeboradice Heating Plant on the outskirts of Prague was another confirmed location. Industrial infrastructure on the outskirts of cities tends to attract productions that need scale without the permit complications of the city center.
The Czech Film Commission lists Třeboradice among the confirmed production sites alongside the other Prague locations. It joins a long line of Czech industrial sites used by international productions over the past two decades.
Jordan Studios and Barrandov Studios, Prague
Interior sequences for Resident Evil were filmed at Jordan Studios in Prague. Studio availability and the overall scale of the production shaped the decision to use Jordan as the primary controlled stage environment.
Barrandov Studios, Prague’s historic and internationally renowned studio facility, also played a supporting role in the production. Stillking Films operates out of Barrandov and has used it as a base for major international productions for decades.
Barrandov was founded in 1933 and has since hosted films including Amadeus, Mission: Impossible, Les Misérables, and many others. Its infrastructure, crew base, and central location within Prague’s production ecosystem made it an obvious anchor for a $75 million studio project.
Behind the Scenes of Resident Evil (2026)
Night shoots only. The entire story of Resident Evil takes place over a single winter night. Supervising location manager Robert Mehrle confirmed to The Location Guide that this made the production particularly demanding. “It was a very special show because the entire story is happening over one night, so it was only night shoots,” he said.
Artificial and real snow, everywhere. Because the story is set in a winter outbreak, the crew needed consistent snow throughout. They combined real winter weather with large-scale artificial snow rigs across multiple locations. One near-border location was filmed at -18°C with both types of snow combined.
American set dressing across Czech streets. Every exterior location required extensive work to look American. This included custom signage, fictional shopfronts, Raccoon City transit maps, Colorado license plates on vehicles, burned-out cars, and practical gore effects. Mehrle described it as “a lot of dressing” to find the right look for each environment.
IMAX filming. The film was shot with IMAX in mind from the start. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, who has worked on the Pirates of the Caribbean and Prometheus franchises, used the format to impart the horror and action scenes with their big-screen intensity.
Czech tax incentives. The Czech Audiovisual Fund allocated approximately CZK 191 million (around $9.1 million USD) in incentives under the country’s 25 percent rebate program. Lower labor costs and a deep local crew base also made Prague a more cost-effective base than Western European or North American alternatives.
The location search took months. Mehrle’s team presented between 20 and 50 options for every individual location requirement in the script. The process was exhaustive by design, as Cregger wanted every environment to feel grounded and specific rather than generic.
Wrap confirmed via social media. Filming officially wrapped in January 2026. Key grip and GRIPSERVICE owner Robert Kodera shared a photo on Instagram alongside cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, confirming the end of the shoot.
Cast of Resident Evil (2026)
| Actor | Character | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Abrams | Bryan (medical courier) | Euphoria, Paper Towns |
| Paul Walter Hauser | Paul | Richard Jewell, BlackBerry, I, Tonya |
| Zach Cherry | Carl (Umbrella scientist) | Stranger Things, You |
| Kali Reis | Maxine (Umbrella enforcer) | True Detective: Night Country |
| Johnno Wilson | Officer Wilson | Once Were Warriors |
| Sara Paxton | Supporting role | Aquamarine, The Innkeepers |
| Emily Piggford | Dr. (hospital staff) | Midnight Mass |
| Griffin Newman | Supporting role | The Tick |
| Andrea Miltnerová | The Pedestrian (first creature) | Czech stage actress |
| Kellen Goff | Creature vocalizations | Overwatch 2 (voice actor) |
Austin Abrams carries the film as Bryan, an ordinary medical courier thrown into an impossible situation. The character is not written as a hero. He improvises, panics, and survives through a combination of luck and desperation. That grounded approach has been widely praised by critics.
Paul Walter Hauser brings his signature ability to blend comedy and genuine menace. Zach Cherry, best known for playing Steven in Stranger Things, plays an Umbrella scientist named Carl. Kali Reis, who starred opposite Jodie Foster in True Detective: Night Country, plays an Umbrella enforcer named Maxine.
Resident Evil (2026) Reviews
Resident Evil (2026) has received some of the best reviews of any video game adaptation ever released. Here is a summary of critical and audience response:
| Source | Score / Verdict |
|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes (Critics) | 96% Certified Fresh |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Audience) | 91% |
| Metacritic | Positive |
| Opening Weekend Box Office | $60 million (domestic) |
| Total Box Office (Opening) | $108.3 million (global) |
| IMAX Preview Day | $8.8 million (9th highest of 2026) |
Critics praised the film’s sustained tension, practical effects, and the decision to treat the material as genuine survival horror rather than action-spectacle. Matt Donato of Daily Dead called it an easy contender for the most entertaining horror film of 2026. Owen Gleiberman of Variety described it as a film that escalates over 90 minutes into a kind of symphonic loopiness.
Criticism was largely directed at the film’s ending. Tom Jorgensen of IGN noted that the supporting cast gets limited screen time beyond exposition. Matt Goldberg of Decoding Everything described the conclusion as somewhat abrupt. Amelia Emberwing of Pickety Witch felt the tonal shift from tension to comedy in certain moments undermined the story’s momentum.
Audience reaction was notably enthusiastic. Many viewers compared it favorably to John Carpenter’s The Thing. The 91% Popcornmeter score is the highest of any film in the franchise by a significant margin. The previous franchise record for audience scores was the original 2002 film at 67%.
The film is also the highest-grossing Resident Evil opening weekend in history, surpassing Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017), which held the franchise record for global gross with $312 million total.
Where to watch Resident Evil?
Resident Evil (2026) is currently showing in theaters following its September 18, 2026 wide release. It is also available in IMAX.
| Theaters (US) | Available now |
| IMAX | Available now |
| Netflix | Not yet available |
| Amazon Prime Video | Not yet available |
| OTT streaming date | Not yet announced |
Sony Pictures is distributing the film. Given Sony’s existing output deal with Netflix, the film is expected to land on Netflix during its eventual streaming window. However, no official OTT release date has been confirmed at the time of publication.
Searches for Resident Evil 2026 Netflix, Resident Evil 2026 OTT release date, and Resident Evil 2026 where to watch online are expected to remain active as the theatrical run continues. Check Sony’s official channels for streaming announcements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Resident Evil (2026) filmed?
The film was filmed almost entirely in the Czech Republic. Prague was the main production base, with additional scenes shot in Litoměřice, Milovice, Třeboradice, Dobříš, and the Czech mountains.
What streets in Prague were used for Resident Evil (2026)?
The confirmed street locations include Jirsíkova, Malého, Pernerova, and Vítkova in Karlín, and Přístavní Street between Komunardů and Osadní streets in Holešovice. The Czech Film Commission also listed this one, on Papírenská Street.
When did filming start and finish?
Principal photography began on October 10, 2025 in Litoměřice and wrapped in January 2026, with the Czech Film Commission recording 62 filming days in total.
Was Resident Evil (2026) filmed for IMAX?
Yes. The film was shot specifically for IMAX presentation and released in IMAX a day before the wide theatrical rollout.
Who directed Resident Evil (2026)?
Zach Cregger directed the film. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten and served as one of the producers.
Is Resident Evil (2026) connected to the Milla Jovovich movies?
Nope. This is a standalone reboot with entirely new characters and a new story. It does not continue or reference the Paul W.S. Anderson film series.
What is Resident Evil (2026) rated?
The film is rated R.
Can you visit the Resident Evil (2026) filming locations?
Yes. Karlín, Holešovice, and central Prague are all publicly accessible. Litoměřice is a working historic town that welcomes visitors. Barrandov Studios offers tours, though availability should be checked in advance. Some specific sites, such as the former Cold War rocket base near Dobříš, may have restricted access.
Resident Evil (2026) is in theaters now. The film was shot on location in Prague and across the Czech Republic between October 2025 and January 2026.
- Where was Hallmark’s Pumpkin Regatta Romance filmed? - September 25, 2026
- Where was The Secret Woman filmed? Behind The Scenes, Cast, Review - September 25, 2026
- Where was Resident Evil (2026) filmed? Every Location Explained - September 23, 2026
