https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/100764923/type/dlg/sid/UUsrUeUpU67402/https://vimeo.com/239290092

Footage from an abandoned television show set in the Resident Evil universe has arrived online. The Resident Evil series began with the original game back in 1996, which was a pioneering title in the survival horror genre. It soon kicked off a robust, multimedia franchise that includes over twenty games, spin-off novels, anime features, toys, and a long-running movie series starring Milla Jovovich.

While the six-part Resident Evil movie series is easily the most successful based on a video game, longtime fans were unhappy with how much they departed from the games. The movies were much more action driven, focusing on an original character named Alice (Jovovich) as she battled zombies and various monsters in a post-apocalyptic world. Characters and settings from the games would pop up, but the films and games ultimately had little to do with each other. The movie franchise concluded with 2017’s The Final Chapter - only for a reboot to be announced shortly after.

Related: Resident Evil Reboot Already In The Works

Now footage from a planned Resident Evil series called Arklay has landed on Vimeo, via the project’s director Shawn Lebert. The short film is called DAVE, and focuses on a detective named Reinhardt investigating the mysterious death of his brother. While the short removes any overt references to the games or movies, some connective tissue is definitely there.

The Arklay series was intended to be something of a prequel to the games, following Reinhardt investigating a number of gruesome deaths in Raccoon City. At some point during the show, he was going to be infected by the T-Virus and would have to race against time to find a cure. A moody thriller set in the Resident Evil world would have been intriguing for sure, but news of the project went quiet shortly after it was announced in 2014. The arrival of this footage seemingly confirms the project is dead for now.

Fans can look at the film for themselves, and decide if Arklay would have been a worthy addition to the franchise. The short also ends with a link to a site called grimrasputinisdead.com, which encourages viewers to look at the film for clues and dig deeper into the central murder mystery. Resident Evil has branched out into just about every medium imaginable by now, so at some point a TV version is possible. If it ever happens, it would need to find some kind of unique angle, since shows like The Walking Dead and Z Nation have mined zombies for all their worth.

Next: Every Resident Evil Game, Ranked

Source: Shawn Lebert