For Chandler Riggs, bringing Resident Evil 7 into live action started with a simple desire: to make the kind of adaptation he wanted to watch as a fan. In his conversation with Pop Culture Unplugged w/ Elias, Riggs takes us behind the scenes of BIOHAZARD, his Resident Evil fan film, revealing how he stepped into Ethan Winters’ shoes while also taking on writing, directing and editing responsibilities.

From live maggots at the Baker family dinner table to a real car crash during the garage confrontation, Riggs explains how the team recreated the game’s unsettling atmosphere through practical details, inventive filmmaking and a shared love of the source material.

Why Chandler Riggs Wanted to Adapt Resident Evil 7

Riggs describes Resident Evil 7 as a standout gaming experience and a turning point for the franchise. Its contained setting and personal story offered a compelling foundation for his own take on the material.

However, getting the project made took more than enthusiasm. After writing the script with friends, Riggs initially put it aside because of the potential cost. A conversation with Tampa Bay’s film commissioner helped get the production moving, although Riggs says he still invested a significant amount of his own money.

He also knew that adapting the game would require changes. The short uses a third-person perspective and draws on Ethan’s Resident Evil Village outfit, with choices shaped by storytelling, time and budget. For Riggs, the challenge was preserving the experience’s core while making those adjustments work on screen.

Finding Ethan Winters Through His Search for Mia

When it came to playing Ethan, Riggs focused on the motivation that grounds the game’s horror: a husband searching for his wife.

“It’s just a guy trying to find his wife.”

That goal gave Riggs a clear emotional through line as Ethan moves deeper into the Baker family’s world. Rather than playing every moment at the same level of fear, he wanted Ethan’s reactions to evolve as the danger became more immediate.

The dinner sequence offered a key opportunity to show that shift. Riggs discusses how Ethan’s understanding of the situation changes as he witnesses the family’s violence, turning uncertainty into a much more urgent fight to survive.

Watch the Full Chandler Riggs Interview

Watch Chandler Riggs discuss the making of BIOHAZARD, recreating Resident Evil’s most disturbing moments and whether he would return as Ethan Winters in our full conversation below.

Live Bugs, Maggots and the Baker Family Dinner

Recreating the Baker family dinner meant finding ways to make the set feel as unpleasant as its video game counterpart. Riggs reveals that the production brought in live bugs and used live maggots for close-up shots of the food.

But the visuals were only part of the effect. He credits the sound design with helping sell the scene’s disgusting details, adding another layer of discomfort to the family’s behavior at the table.

Riggs also discusses casting Jason Douglas as Jack Baker. Having worked with Douglas on The Walking Dead, he saw an actor who could capture both the character’s underlying humanity and his terrifying unpredictability. Douglas brought his own ideas to the performance, including an improvised reference to Louisiana folklore.

A $500 Car and a Real Crash

The garage confrontation presented a different set of challenges. The team needed a location that could accommodate stunt work while still feeling confined, along with a vehicle that fit an extremely tight budget.

Riggs reveals that the budget for the car itself was just $500. With stunt drivers involved and permission to damage a wall at the location, the production was able to film an actual car crash for the sequence.

Elsewhere, an old Tampa cigar factory became the setting for the Baker house interiors. With portions of the space due to be torn down, the team had the freedom to paint and transform the location to suit the film.

Directing, Acting and Finding the Scares in the Edit

Taking on multiple roles meant Riggs constantly moved between practical production decisions and Ethan’s emotional state. One moment, he was thinking about coverage and the shooting schedule; the next, he needed to be fully present as a frightened character searching for Mia.

Editing brought another responsibility: making sure the finished film showcased the work of the cast and crew. Riggs explains that his first cut ran well over 20 minutes, requiring him to tighten scenes and rethink how certain moments played.

One example was a basement scare involving Eveline. When the original slow reveal did not create the intended effect, he reworked the sequence around the light of a match going out and returning, changing the timing of the reveal to make it more effective.

Would Chandler Riggs Return as Ethan Winters?

Riggs makes it clear that he would love to play Ethan again, particularly with the team assembled for BIOHAZARD. He is open to expanding the project in an official capacity, while acknowledging that no such opportunity is guaranteed.

He also describes the short as a stepping stone toward directing his first feature, whether that ultimately involves an original story or an existing property.

As for other games, Riggs names SOMA, Outlast and BioShock among the worlds he would be excited to explore as a filmmaker or collaborator.

A Meaningful Response From Resident Evil 7’s Director

Among the reactions to the fan film, support from Resident Evil 7’s director held particular meaning for Riggs. During the interview, he describes how special it felt to receive encouragement from someone responsible for the game that inspired his project.

That response speaks to the personal investment behind BIOHAZARD. For Riggs, the film was an opportunity to bring his enthusiasm as a player into his work as an actor and filmmaker—and to share that interpretation with fellow fans.

Watch the full interview above for more on Chandler Riggs’ Resident Evil fan film, his approach to Ethan Winters and the work behind BIOHAZARD’s biggest scenes.

BIOHAZARD is a Resident Evil fan film, not an official Capcom production.