It was all the way back in 1996 that gamers were first introduced to the horror survival game Resident Evil. The BBFC 18 rated game thrust the player into the heart of a zombie outbreak, with the immersive gameplay making it a truly terrifying prospect to play. Around the same time came the dawn of film adaptations of video games and so a Resident Evil film was eventually released in 2002. Directed by Paul W. S Anderson, it starred Milla Jovovich and performed well enough to spawn an entire franchise of films. However, despite Anderson having prior experience in adapting a video game with Mortal Kombat, the film series of Resident Evil bears little similarity to the games that spawned it. All this is set to change though with Johannes Roberts’ new movie Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
The film will restart the cinematic universe of Resident Evil and, for the first time in the series, will more closely follow the plot of the games. Meshing story and character elements from both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2, writer and director Roberts has promised a film that better captures the horror portion of the gameplay. It’s a very exciting prospect, especially in the wake of Anderson’s more action/sci-fi heavy movies. From the trailers and promo material available online, Roberts seems to be a man of his word; the glimpses of both the Raccoon Police Department and the mansion look suitably authentic. There’s also a smattering of Easter eggs and nods to to be found in these materials, which means that the film could be a real love letter for fans of the game.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City arrives in cinemas on 3rd December. Johannes Roberts has a strong history working in the horror genre, his underwater nightmare 47 Metres Down being the jewel in his crown so far. His background in the genre, and his outspoken love for the games, positions Roberts as an excellent choice for the project. Earlier this week we spoke with him to find out exactly what we can expect.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is released on 3rd December 2021 in cinemas.
