The Resident Evil movie reboot has been given an official release date and is ready to take on its billion-dollar predecessor franchise. Spearheaded by horror B-movie kingpin Paul W.S. Anderson, the first set of Resident Evil movies spanned 6 installments but had almost nothing to do with the iconic Capcom game series. The reboot plans to remedy that, now that the video game movie curse seems to be broken.
This reboot has been in development since 2017, at one point having James Wan attached. Now helmed by Johannes Roberts, Resident Evil will return to the games' smaller-scale survival horror roots. It's set in Raccoon City in 1998, and has cast a slew of the classic Capcom characters, including Claire Redfield and Jill Valentine. The film will officially serve as an "origin story" for the Resident Evil world, revealing the secrets behind the outbreak in Raccoon City and Spencer Mansion. It's not clear how deep into the games the story will dive, but Roberts has promised his vision will remain faithful to its inspiration.
Sony's Screen Gems division will be releasing the currently still untitled Resident Evil reboot domestically on September 3rd, 2021. Sony International will be handling distribution in most other territories, with Constantin Film releasing in German-speaking territories, Elevation in Canada, and Metropolitan in France.
Though it still technically doesn't have a name, filming has already finished and seems to have gone surprisingly smoothly. The first 6 Resident Evil movies were a mixed bag of reactions, for the most part critically panned and disliked by serious fans of the Capcom games, but they did what they wanted to as gonzo action-horror B-movies. The prospect of a deeply faithful adaptation has riled the fanbase with the potential for a connective universe of Resident Evil movies that better represent the survival horror aspects of the games. The lore of Resident Evil runs very deep across its 7 (soon to be 8) games and, unlike the movies, most of them were very well-received.
The Resident Evil 2 remake, which was both gorgeous and totally revamped in its gameplay, re-energized the RE brand in concert with the return to form that was RE7: Biohazard. The internet is currently investing very heavily in RE: Village Tall Vampire Lady memes, and it feels like there's no better time for Sony to release this film. The last few years have seen video game adaptations succeed like nobody ever thought they would, and it's thanks to creators who understand and care about the games they're adapting. With all the adaptations getting greenlit, Resident Evil is in a unique position to succeed. Its lore is deep, its environments and characters are memorable, but the individual stories of the games aren't so integral to their legacy that fans would never be satisfied with diverging adaptations. If this first release goes well next year, expect to see a lot more in the future.
Source: Sony