Some new set photos from the Resident Evil reboot movie tease a connection to Spencer Mansion, a key setting from the franchise's original video game. The Resident Evil reboot movie is a reimagining of Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil film franchise, which he loosely adapted from Capcom's best-selling video game series of the same name. Anderson's Resident Evil film universe spanned six movies - all of which were led by Milla Jovovich. The first few Resident Evil films were quite loyal to their source material, but the later sequels deviated from the original video games, incurring the wrath of critics and fans alike. But now 47 Meters Down director Johannes Roberts has taken to revive the Resident Evil film franchise. And instead of making a brisk action piece, Roberts is looking to honor the legacy of the video games with an origin story set in 1998 Raccoon City.
The Resident Evil reboot movie was first announced in 2017, with original EP James Wan returning to produce. But in 2018, Wan exited the project in favor of the Mortal Kombat reboot, and soon the original screenwriter Greg Russo left the reboot too. Roberts was then subsequently hired to write and direct the new movie. In August 2019, during an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Roberts revealed that his Resident Evil movie will be more logically tied up with the video games and that it wouldn't be an action-adventure film like the previous films, rather it would be a "super, super scary" horror movie. Now some new images have surfaced from the sets of Roberts' Resident Evil reboot and they further affirm the director's claim about the film's connection to its source material.
Resident Evil enthusiasts, Residence of Evil, posted a bunch of images from the sets of the reboot movie to Twitter. The images offer the first look at what appears to be an entrance to the Spencer Mansion - the presaging structure that served as the primary setting in the first Resident Evil game. Some other pictures represent the S.T.A.R.S UH-1/204B model helicopter, which after an engine failure in 1998 landed near the Spencer Mansion, located above the Arklay laboratory. Take a look at the new pictures below.
This isn't the first time that set photos from the Resident Evil reboot movie have popped up. Earlier this month, Biohazard Declassified also tweeted an picture from the location of film. The image showed the Emmy's Diner, which was a setting that appeared during Claire's opening cut-scene in Resident Evil 2. There have also been other pictures from the movie's filming location, offering a sneak-peek at the Arkley Forest setting. The continuous emergence of such set photos indicates that production of the Resident Evil reboot movie is in full swing. After all, the main cast featuring Kaya Scodelario, Robbie Amell, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia, Neal McDonough, and Donal Logue is already on board and they have even moved to Ontario, Canada to film the movie.
After years of critics' contempt over the films' glaring dismissal of the video games' premise, things are finally looking good for the Resident Evil film franchise. As the set photos reveal, in his movie, Roberts is evidently trying to recreate the essence and nuances of the survival-horror video game series that gave many people sleepless nights. Not only is the director invigorating characters from the core game series for his live-action flick, but he is also honoring the games' settings, equipment, transport, and weapons in the most authentic manner. So hopefully when the Resident Evil reboot movie debuts on the big screen, it will be a nostalgic experience for long-time aficionados who will be drawn back to the very roots of the iconic game franchise they value so dearly.
Source: Residence of Evil