Resident Evil Director Battled Pneumonia and Bacterial Infection During Filming

Ever tried to direct a massive movie while your body is completely falling apart? That's exactly what happened to Zach Cregger on the set of the new Resident Evil film.

The director recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he was sick for the entire production. For the first half of filming, he had pneumonia. Then, for the second half, he caught Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea. Yeah, not fun.

"So I was very, very ill for the whole production, and everything felt so barely in control because my body was failing me," Cregger said. Talk about a nightmare scenario—especially when you're helming a big-budget, highly anticipated movie based on a beloved franchise with legions of fans and huge expectations.

But Cregger didn't have to go through it alone. He credits his "wonderful, talented" department leads for helping him push through, and he had high praise for Resident Evil star Austin Abrams. "He's one of the most can-do, positive people I've ever met," Cregger said. "I was spoiled by the people around me."

And if being sick wasn't enough, the production also had to deal with freezing-cold conditions in the north of the Czech Republic. "We froze our asses off," Cregger added. Sounds like a real test of endurance.

This isn't even the first time Cregger has dealt with physical turmoil while making a movie. On his last film, Weapons, it was so hot and humid that he needed an IV and had to direct scenes remotely. Dude just can't catch a break.

Resident Evil releases on September 18, and it's expected to have a huge, record-setting opening weekend. The movie stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier named Bryan, an "idiot" everyman who finds himself in a world of pain. Given everything Cregger went through, we're hoping the final product is worth all that suffering.

What do you think? Are you planning to see Resident Evil when it hits theaters? Let us know in the comments!