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
"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.
