On a sliding scale of “good,” the Resident Evil film series has probably been the most successful adaptation of video game source material Hollywood has ever done. Paul W.S. Anderson has written and directed six movies in the series, with wife Milla Jovovich starring in them, grossing approximately $1.2 billion USD at the box office. However, they’ve been decidedly loose adaptations.
Now, writer-director Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) is working with Constantin Film to reboot the film franchise with a origin story film based more closely on the original game. According to a report on Deadline, the new film will be set in Racoon City, circa 1998. As Roberts explained to Deadline, “With this movie, 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.”
If there were any lingering doubts about how closely the reboot will follow the games, the cast list should lay them to rest. Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) has been cast as Claire Redfield, Robbie Amell (Upload) playing brother Chris Redfield, Hannah John-Kamen (Ant Man and The Wasp) as Jill Valentine, Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy) as the infamous Albert Wesker, Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap) as Leon S. Kennedy, and Neil McDonough (Project Blue Book) as mad scientist William Birkin.
A release date for the film has not been set.
Food For Thought
While some of the actors may not look like their video game counterparts, it’s impossible to say if they can or cannot handle the roles at this point. The list of characters strongly indicates that Roberts is serious about trying to keep the film more tied to the original games than the Anderson films. And whatever physical difference certain actors might have compared to the original video game incarnations, they can’t possibly be as far off as Dennis Hopper’s “Koopa” from Super Mario Brothers.
