Just over a year ago, a new Resident Evil movie was confirmed to be in production. But instead of Paul W. S. Anderson at the wheel, Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) is serving as director and the movie was described as a reboot/origin story, sounding like it aims to be much closer to the source material than Anderson's takes.
Fans are likely to be more receptive to a more faithful adaptation, but it doesn't sound like this new Resident Evil film will be a straight adaptation of the first game and instead simply be tied to the series' lore. That said, it's set to feature numerous recognizable characters from across the series.
In fact, a cast list has been confirmed, not only revealing who fans can expect to see on the silver screen but also who will be playing them. And so far, there's not a wholly original character in sight. The list name drops series veterans Chris and Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Leon S. Kennedy, alongside antagonists Albert Wesker and William Birkin.
- Chris Redfield - Robbie Amell (Upload, The Flash)
- Claire Redfield - Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales)
- Jill Valentine - Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Game of Thrones)
- Leon S. Kennedy - Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap, Now Apocalypse)
- Albert Wesker - Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy, Black Sails)
- William Birkin - Neal McDonough (Yellowstone, Altered Carbon)
While the protagonists have crossed paths before in other media (for example, Leon and Claire were the playable characters in Resident Evil 2), this would mark the first time all four appear together, assuming that is what happens in the film.
However, story details are incredibly scarce. All we know is that the story takes place in Raccoon City, 1998. The setting and year alone encompass the events of the first three Resident Evil games, but it's unlikely that this film will attempt to adapt all three in the space of a single movie. It's also hard to think of a new story that could feasibly fit within the series' canon and feature all of these protagonists working together.
Regardless, Capcom is clearly going all in on bringing the series to both film and television. Only a couple of months ago did Netflix officially share details of its Resident Evil TV series, which won't be adapting any of the games and instead have an original story focused on the daughters of Wesker.
And that's not the only one either. A month later, a separate animated series titled Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness was announced, featuring the return of both Leon and Claire, and is set to air in 2021.
As for Anderson's film series, while maybe not what fans of the games had hoped for, it still has its own fan base and some of them are considered legitimately enjoyable.
Source: Deadline