Our boy has come a long way from eating chocolate pudding on a rooftop. Chandler Riggs is trading the zombie apocalypse of The Walking Dead for the nightmare of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The actor has released BIOHAZARD, a live-action horror short film inspired by Capcom’s hit survival horror game, and the full movie is now available to watch on YouTube.
Riggs wears several hats on the project, serving as writer, director, editor, and star. He plays Ethan Winters, whose search for his missing wife leads him straight into the clutches of the Baker family, a terrifying group driven to violence by a mysterious infection. Jason Douglas, best known to The Walking Dead fans as Tobin, plays the family’s brutal patriarch, Jack Baker.
The cast also includes Mary Rachel Quinn, Eugenie Bondurant, Sam Coyles, and Mia Cole. Rather than attempting to recreate the entire game, BIOHAZARD brings a portion of its story and its distinctly unpleasant family reunion to live action.
According to the production team, the project grew out of a desire to capture the isolated, intense atmosphere of Resident Evil 7 in a live-action setting. Making that happen required more than finding the right actors and putting them in front of a camera. The crew spent days transforming Arturo Fuente’s original cigar factory in Tampa Bay into a full-scale section of the Baker estate.
That practical approach extends to the film’s effects. The production used practical set design, special effects, and stunt work, with minimal visual effects, to recreate the physical horror of the game. Greg Nicotero, the special effects artist known for his extensive work on The Walking Dead, also supported the production by providing special effects equipment.
BIOHAZARD was produced by Shane Brady and Emily Zercher of Tampa-based production company Spooky Feet Films. The film marks the third project Riggs has made with the production team, and it also received support from Film Tampa Bay as part of an effort to showcase the region as a capable home for film productions.
The filmmakers are also making their position on AI clear. The official announcement states that no AI was used in making the short and that the film may not be used to train AI systems.
As a fan production, BIOHAZARD is a noncommercial derivative work and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the owners of the Resident Evil franchise. The announcement makes clear that all rights to the original franchise remain with their respective owners.
Chandler Riggs has previously discussed his love of Resident Evil and his interest in seeing the games receive a faithful live-action adaptation. Now, fans can see his own take on the material for themselves.
