Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, and Neal McDonough lead the Resident Evil film reboot cast

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures (via Instagram))

We learned last year that a reboot of the long-running Resident Evil film series is in the works. Today we got a glimpse of what we've got to look forward to courtesy of a new Deadline report, which says that the film will return to the series' roots with a tale of "a fateful night in Raccoon City" in 1998.

The six Resident Evil films starring Milla Jojovich haven't exactly been critical hits (Rotten Tomatoes describes the first, released in 2002, as "loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy," while the latest, 2016's The Final Chapter, is "mind-numbingly chaotic") but they've been incredibly lucrative, earning a combined $1.2 billion at the box office. But with nearly 20 years gone, it's time for a change.

"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," producer Robert Kulzer said.

The Deadline report also revealed who's signed up so far:

Kaya Scodelario - Claire Redfield
Hannah John-Kamen - Jill Valentine
Robbie Amell - Chris Redfield
Tom Hopper - Albert Wesker
Avan Jogia - Leon S. Kennedy
Neal McDonough - William Birkin

Very excited to get (safely) back to work. Promise to bring you guys a kick ass, determined, zombie whooping Claire Redfield - with some heart too 💪🏻 Now, where’s my red leather jacket...? Kaya Scodelario
A photo posted by @kayascods on Oct 6, 2020 at 9:29am PDT

"With this movie, I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and re-create the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them," writer and director Johannes Roberts said, "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."

There's no indication yet as to when the new film will arrive in theaters, but just in case that's not enough Resident Evil for you don't forget that a live-action series and a CG series are in the works for Netflix. The live action series doesn't have a release date yet either, but the CGI series, called Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, is expected to debut in 2021. Here's a teaser.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.