Footage shows how performers built the Resident Evil Merged Monster

Behind-the-scenes footage released on Instagram by movement coordinator Jakub Hudlický reveals how the team physically performed the Merged Monster in Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie. The test videos, dated July 2025, show the creature’s construction and movement mechanics, offering a glimpse into the practical effects used to bring the antagonist to life.

Constructing the Merged Monster

The Merged Monster serves as the film’s primary threat, relentlessly pursuing Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, throughout the town. Composed of zombies killed by Bryan alongside short-lived allies Paul (Paul Walter Hauser) and Maxine (Kali Reis), the beast functions as a major set piece that the protagonist must eventually defeat. Hudlický identified determining how the creature “mooooved” as a significant challenge for himself, the stunt team Filmka, and Czech theatre company Cirk La Putyka.

Performer Configurations and Fluidity

Videos posted by Hudlický demonstrate that the Merged was assembled using multiple performers strapped together in configurations ranging from two to four people. These groups cartwheeled as a single unit to create the monster’s distinctive motion. The footage illustrates a correlation between performer count and visual fluidity: two-person setups appeared awkward, three-person arrangements looked more natural, and four-person configurations achieved the optimal balance for the creature’s movement.

Production Partnerships and Reactions

Creative dance agency Movement Production independently released video content highlighting the bloody maternity ward scene and hospital attendants. Both Hudlický and Movement Production expressed gratitude toward production company Still King and director Zach Cregger for allowing their involvement in the project. Hudlický described the process of creating the Merged Monster’s movement as “such an amazing journey.”