Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City dropped its first trailer, revealing a movie that looks like it will be significantly more accurate to the source material than the previous Resident Evil film series. The trailer mainly focused on plot points from the first two Resident Evil games, but it also briefly revealed a connection to Resident Evil Code: Veronica, potentially teasing what fans can expect from a sequel.
There is a moment in the Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City trailer where Claire Redfield is watching an Umbrella film reel. The film reel mimics a similar one seen in the Resident Evil Code: Veronica video game of the Ashford twins, with Alfred even appearing to be ripping the wings off a dragonfly like in the video game. In the next frame, viewers see Leon S. Kennedy move a film reel case that's clearly labeled "ASHFORD TWINS," eliminating any doubt about the identities of the kids in the film.
There are plenty of Resident Evil video game Easter eggs and references hidden in the Welcome to Raccoon City trailer, but this one is arguably the most interesting. It seems unlikely that the film will offer a deep dive into the Ashford twins or the events of Code: Veronica, so maybe viewers will learn more in a potential sequel, assuming the first movie performs well enough at the box office to justify one, that is.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City seems to be positioning Claire Redfield as the main protagonist of the film, and so it would make sense for a potential sequel to be based on another Claire-centric RE game. Resident Evil Code: Veronica seems like it would make the most sense for the next film adaptation, as it features not only Claire, but Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker as well, meaning multiple members of the current cast could return for the sequel.
If the next Resident Evil movie does adapt Code: Veronica, it will be interesting to see if that drums up more interest for a Code: Veronica remake. Fans have been clamoring for a Resident Evil Code: Veronica remake ever since Capcom's plans for a Resident Evil 4 remake leaked online, though Capcom itself does not appear to have any plans to remake the game at the time of this writing.
The Capcom ransomware attack and reliable leakers have indicated that Capcom has multiple Resident Evil games in the pipeline, including a supposed Switch exclusive Resident Evil game. Whether or not there's any truth to that remains to be seen, but in the meantime, Resident Evil fans can look forward to catching the movie reboot in theaters when it premieres next month.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City premieres in theaters on November 24.