Zombie clips show up on short-video feeds every October. This year there is an extra reason: a new Resident Evil film has been in cinemas since September, released in China as 《生化危机：爆发夜》. This post covers where the modern movie zombie comes from, what that film is, and some Halloween 2026 ideas for putting yourself in a zombie scene. If you just want to make one, our AI zombie effect is linked at the end.
Where the modern zombie comes from
The word "zombie" comes from Haitian folklore, where it meant a corpse brought back by a sorcerer to work as a mindless servant. Early films such as White Zombie (1932) used that version.
The flesh-eating, slow-walking undead that most people picture today mostly comes from George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. It premiered in Pittsburgh on 1 October 1968 and was shot in black and white near Evans City, Pennsylvania, for roughly $100,000 to $125,000. Romero never used the word "zombie" in the film. He called the creatures "ghouls", and the zombie label was applied to them later. The film's makeup was simple: white skin and darkened eyes at first, then mortician's wax for wounds as filming went on. In 1999 the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry. Source: Wikipedia, Night of the Living Dead, which cites the production histories.
Almost every zombie scene since borrows something from it: a small group under siege, a slow crowd closing in, and a person who turns.
What 《生化危机：爆发夜》 is
《生化危机：爆发夜》 is the Chinese release title of Resident Evil (2026), a film based on Capcom's video game series. It is not an event or a game update.
- Director: Zach Cregger, who co-wrote it with Shay Hatten
- Cast: Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier caught in an outbreak on his way to a delivery in Raccoon City, with Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser
- Release: premiered in Los Angeles on 15 September 2026; in US cinemas from 18 September 2026; in mainland Chinese cinemas from 5 October 2026
- Running time: 94 minutes
- Box office: $60.2 million in its US opening weekend and $108.3 million worldwide that weekend, both franchise records. About $361 million worldwide as of 18 October 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia, Resident Evil (2026 film), Box Office Mojo, Deadline and, for the Chinese title and release date, 1905电影网.
There is also a Resident Evil (2026) topic page with the same facts and a fan-made AI short.
The film is part of why zombie and outbreak clips are getting more attention than usual this October. HiVideoStudio has no connection to the film, Capcom, Sony Pictures or anyone involved. Our templates are original scenes and use nothing from the film or the games.
Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday
Halloween is Saturday 31 October 2026, so most parties and posts will land on Friday night and the weekend. A few ideas that work as short vertical videos:
- The slow turn. Start as yourself and end as a zombie. This is the oldest trick in the genre, and it works best as a close-up.
- The last survivor. Put yourself in a corridor or a street, holding off a crowd. It works well as a group post where each friend gets a different scene.
- Costume preview. Try out a zombie look on screen before you buy face paint and contact lenses.
- Before and after. Post your normal photo first, then the clip.
Three of our zombie scenes
These are 15-second renders from our own templates, each made from one photo.
Template 01: a police officer in a tiled corridor fires at zombies coming out of a red haze while the camera moves to over her shoulder.
Template 02: a man on a rainy street at night, a car burning behind him, holding off a crowd. Filmed handheld.
Template 03: the turn. A man in a candlelit hallway slowly becomes a zombie, ending on a close-up.
Before you post
- Only use photos of people who agreed to it. Never use a child's photo without a parent's or guardian's permission.
- These clips include horror imagery and, in two templates, guns. Check the platform's rules and add a content warning where needed.
- Label the clip as AI-generated.
- Do not present it as footage from, or connected to, Resident Evil or any film or game.
How to make your own
- Open the AI zombie effect and pick one of the three templates.
- Upload one clear, front-facing photo.
- Tap Generate. A 15-second vertical 9:16 clip with sound costs 45 credits. If the render fails, the credits are refunded. The MP4 saves to your Library.
The effect page shows whether Generate is open. Related pages added 2026-10-22: the Halloween effects hub (samples for the effects that publish one), Halloween ideas that stay inside those effects, how to pick the input photo, and why a two-person zombie couple clip is not offered.
Quick answers
What is 《生化危机：爆发夜》? It is the Chinese title of Resident Evil (2026), directed by Zach Cregger. It opened in the US on 18 September 2026 and in mainland China on 5 October 2026.
Is the AI zombie effect connected to Resident Evil? No. HiVideoStudio is independent and is not affiliated with Capcom, Sony Pictures or the film's producers. The templates are original scenes.
Which film made the modern zombie popular? George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, which premiered on 1 October 1968.
When is Halloween 2026? Saturday 31 October 2026.