Home · Entertainment · Oct 14 archive
Austin Abrams Stars in 'Whalefall' After 'Resident Evil' Success
Confirmed
In Short: Actor Austin Abrams, known for his roles in 'Resident Evil' and 'Whalefall,' continues to take on physically demanding and critically acclaimed projects.
Actor Austin Abrams, who recently starred in the horror film 'Resident Evil,' is set to appear in the upcoming movie 'Whalefall.' Abrams has been praised for his performance in 'Resident Evil,' where he played Bryan, a courier caught in a zombie outbreak in Raccoon City.
In 'Resident Evil,' Abrams' character is thrust into a chaotic situation where he must navigate through a city overrun by zombies. The film, directed by Zach Cregger, has been lauded for its unique take on the Resident Evil franchise, focusing on a more relatable protagonist.
Abrams has also been recognized for his role in 'Whalefall,' where he plays a scuba diver named Jay Gardiner who is swallowed by a whale and must find a way to escape within an hour. The film, directed by Brian Duffield, blends practical effects with CGI to create a realistic and immersive experience.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Abrams has embraced the physical demands of his recent roles, stating, 'I don’t know why it’s ended up happening, but there’s been a decent amount recently that’s required a lot of physicality, which I also do love.'
'Whalefall' is set to release in UK cinemas on October 16, 2026. Abrams' performance in the film is expected to draw similar praise, with critics noting the actor's ability to bring depth to his characters despite their simplicity.
Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' has been a commercial success, earning $60 million in its opening weekend in North America, according to K24. The film has also surpassed the domestic records of previous Resident Evil adaptations, including the first film's $40.1 million and 2004’s Apocalypse's $50.1 million, as reported by Fandomwire.
Techmymoney praised Cregger's approach to adapting the video game series, stating, 'Cregger’s Resident Evil is a lesson in making a good video game adaptation.' The film's success can be attributed to its focus on a relatable protagonist and its straightforward narrative.
In 'Whalefall,' Abrams' character is subjected to a physically demanding role, spending much of the film inside a whale's stomach. The production team used a combination of CGI and a physical contraption to create the illusion of Abrams being inside the whale.
Abrams' career has seen him take on a variety of roles, from horror films like 'The Grudge' and 'The Ring' to more recent projects like 'Barbarian' and 'Weapons.' His versatility and commitment to physically demanding roles have earned him critical acclaim.
'Whalefall' and 'Resident Evil' showcase Abrams' ability to handle challenging roles and bring depth to his characters, making him a standout actor in the horror genre.
The upcoming release of 'Whalefall' is eagerly anticipated, with fans and critics alike looking forward to seeing Abrams' performance in a new and unique setting.
What this adds
Austin Abrams has been praised for his roles in both 'Resident Evil' and 'Whalefall,' highlighting his versatility and commitment to physically demanding roles. The success of 'Resident Evil' has set high expectations for 'Whalefall.'
Background
Actor Austin Abrams stars in the new film 'Whalefall' following his success in 'Resident Evil' and a string of physically demanding roles.
Resident Evil, also known as Biohazard in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter, and first-person games, with players typically surviving in environments inhabited by zombies and other mutated creatures.
What's confirmed
- I first read Daniel Kraus ’ Whalefall back when it was published in 2023.
- Just last month he found himself at the mercy of a mutant zombie outbreak in Zach Cregger's Resident Evil and now he's being swallowed by an actual whale.
- By Christopher Campbell | Published September 16, 2026 The latest adaptation of the Resident Evil video games arrives in theaters this weekend, and the first reviews are now online.
What's still developing
- Through a blend of CG and a physical contraption, Abrams spends a majority of the film folded up in a wet cavern of tissue, toxic air, and whatever else the whale has swallowed.
- Abrams is once again coming in for stellar reviews for his performance, here playing a scuba diver named Jay Gardiner who goes diving off the central coast of California to search for his father’s remains, gets swallowed by a whale, Jonah-style, and has one hour to get himself out before his oxygen runs out.
- Resident Evil wastes very little time getting started, and once the outbreak begins, there is rarely an opportunity to breathe.
- The trademark Resident Evil big bads start showing up in the third act, and Cregger takes his time showing one of them acting like a giant fleshy woodchipper as side characters are fed into it.
- The film is its own unique species of monster, a hilariously dark and darkly hilarious romp whose plot isn’t trying to sell non-gamers on Resident Evil ’s touchstone moments, but instead uses the setting and rules of the games to take audiences on a much wilder ride than some of the games themselves actually deliver.
- Speaking with HOLA, Cregger revealed that achieving that immersive quality required careful coordination between Austin and the camera operator.
- Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil orients a story away from the franchise’s typical badass action heroes like Claire Redfield or Milla Jovovich’s Alice, instead molding a narrative around that guy whose apocalypse is going much, much worse than yours.
- Stripping Resident Evil down to its bare necessities as a horror tale is a risky, but very rewarding move.
- It feels like Resident Evil adaptations are a dime a dozen these days.
- After his scene-stealing turn in Weapons, Abrams easily shoulders his promotion to leading man here in a performance that’s a lot more skillful than the simplicity of the character first suggests.
- At 95 minutes, Resident Evil is here for a good time, not a long time, and it hits the ground running as Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier, accepts a last-minute assignment to bring a high-priority delivery through the mountains to Raccoon City General Hospital.
- His third solo project marks his first foray into adapting pre-existing intellectual property, choosing the 30-year-old video game behemoth “Resident Evil,” which consists of a total of eleven core-canon games and 10 film adaptations.