🪱 How Bryan’s Final Transformation Was Created for Zach Cregger’s 'RESIDENT EVIL' movie.
Bryan’s final mutated form was designed differently from the 'Pedestrian'. The Pedestrian is made up of multiple human bodies fused together into one creature. Bryan’s mutation still has a human body with two arms and two legs, but a large mass of additional bodies and mutated anatomy grows from his back.
⚒️ The production already had some early ideas for Bryan’s creature, but the final design started to take shape after a Weta FX concept artist created a series of sketches that Zach Cregger liked. The team kept Bryan’s basic human form and built the mutation around it instead of completely changing his body.
The creature uses the tentacles to grab people and objects and move through the environment. They weren’t added just for the design, but had a practical function in the creature’s movement.
💀 Bryan doesn’t fully transform right away. The idea was to keep him recognizable for as long as possible because the creature slowly takes control of his body as Bryan continues to fight against it.
This struggle can be seen clearly in the final sequence. Bryan desperately tries to reach the cure as the creature takes over his body and uses the tentacles to attack the scientists. The animation shows Bryan and the creature fighting for control of the same body.
📹 Austin Abrams recorded his performance at Eyeline Studios using a special volumetric capture setup with more than 200 robotic cameras. He was captured from many angles, giving Weta FX a detailed 3D version of his movements to work with.
Weta FX also created a detailed digital version of Austin Abrams with a fully rigged face to reproduce his expressions.
👹 This digital version of Austin Abrams became the base for Bryan’s transformation. The team added the massive body growing from his back, the extra anatomy and tentacles, and then recreated his clothing. This allowed them to gradually change Bryan into the creature while keeping his movements and expressions recognizable throughout the transformation.
Zach Cregger had specific ideas for Bryan’s main movements and the moments where he fights the creature. Weta FX dealt with the rest.
😓 A lot of work went into Bryan’s face during the final stages of the transformation. His face becomes less recognizable as the creature takes control, but Bryan continues fighting against it and trying to stay himself until the creature finally takes full control.
(via: Alessandro Ongaro / Production VFX Supervisor)