Videogame adaptations have been overwhelmingly naff for the past few decades. That being said, the Milla Jovovich fronted Resident Evil films have been something of an outlier. Very little to do with the games, as I understand, but very good high-action romps that become increasingly apocalyptic as they go on.
But while next year’s reboot is likewise being produced by Constantin Film, it sounds a far cry from Anderson’s gorefests. Speaking to Deadline earlier today, however, writer and director Johannes Roberts expressed a desire to return to the more intimate framing of Capcom’s first few Resi games for the upcoming reboot. “I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and re-create the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them whilst at the same time telling a grounded human story about a small dying American town that feels both relatable and relevant to today’s audiences.” Due to release next year - still cutting it close to our own outbreak-stricken reality, perhaps - the flick has already cast roles for fan-fave characters like Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper) and Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia). Roberts’ film isn’t the only Resi adaptation in the pipeline either, with Netflix commissioning a series based on the Wesker kids. Back in the realm of videogames, Resident Evil Village is still skulking around for a 2021 release. Hope you like dogs, because it’s full of ’em.