When it comes to video game movie adaptations, few franchises have been able to have the staying power of the Resident Evil films. While the majority of the films could be considered to be pretty awful, they still found a legion of fans who enjoyed the over the top action and went on to be profitable at the box office.
Money talks though, and even if the Paul WS Anderson directed franchise fired its last bullet in 2017 with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, you just can’t keep the dead six feet under.
We’re getting more Resident Evil in the form of a new live-action movie reboot, along with an animated series on Netflix. Details have emerged via /Film on how this new reboot, written and directed by director Johannes Roberts, will differ from the original.
One of those big changes will be to try and return to the story of the video games with classic game characters Jill Valentine (to be played by Hannah-John Kamen) and Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) with a story that will go back to the origins of the Franchise. Other familiar franchise characters include Claire’s brother Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Leon S. Kennedy (Avan Jogia), and William Berkin (Neal McDonough).
You can read some official comments from Roberts and producer Robert Kulzer below:
With this movie, I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and recreate the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them whilst at the same time telling a grounded human story about a small dying American town that feels both relatable and relevant to today’s audiences – Roberts
After a dozen games, six live-action movies and hundreds of pages of fan fiction, we felt compelled to return to the year 1998, to explore the secrets hidden in the walls of the Spenser Mansion and Raccoon City – Kulzer
With Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil movies straying quite far from the video games and focusing more on action than horror, I think it would be nice to have a Resident Evil movie that better resembles the spirit of the video games. I also think that in avoiding the character of Alice, played by Milla Jovovich in all six of the previous films, they can still tell a story that doesn’t try and erase the narrative of the games.
Resident Evil is currently aiming for a 2021 release, but given the usual COVID-19 constraints, I wouldn’t hold the production team to that promise.
Last Updated: October 8, 2020
CrAiGiSh
October 8, 2020 at 09:03
Good characters.
justlikemo
October 8, 2020 at 09:23
The 1st movie was the best all those years ago, awesome stuff, still can’t beat it with any of the newer ones.
Insomnia is fun
October 8, 2020 at 09:28
Not sure Tom Hopper can do a better Wesker than Shawn Rovers. But we’ll see.
Tabby
October 9, 2020 at 05:25
I’ve been waiting over twenty years for them to make a faithful RE movie, and right out of the gate Jill Valentine’s Eurasian roots get passed over for an actress who could have easily and accurately played Sheva instead.
I guess people only get mad at Scarlett Johansson for stuff like that.
I’ll pass.
Make Wrestling Great Again
October 10, 2020 at 19:54
I don’t know why the hell they haven’t made a Resident Evil movie that is representative of Resident Evil 4
Jb
October 11, 2020 at 18:19
Technically they did, it wasn’t adapted storywise, but they definitely went down the more action oriented route. The animated movies were closer to re4 though.
Make Wrestling Great Again
October 12, 2020 at 00:26
But I mean based specifically off of Resi 4. With Leon etc. Not Exactly the same story for the movies sake