The Resident Evil video game series is reportedly getting another film adaptation, according to a rumor that Bloody Digusting reported. Per the report, the next Resident Evil film will be an adaptation of the prequel game Resident Evil 0, first released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2002. It’s also important to point out that the studio and production company behind the Resident Evil movies, Screen Gems / Constantin Films, is required to release a new film every five years in order to keep the rights to the Resident Evil films. This is helping to fuel the speculation around another film being released this year.
The last Resident Evil Film released by the company, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, came out in 2021 and mainly received poor reviews from critics. It also struggled at the box office, taking in a worldwide gross of $42 million against a $25 million budget. Theoretically, the production company’s next Resident Evil film would need to be released before the start of the next fiscal year, meaning any other adaptation that comes out would have to go into production sooner rather than later.
The next bit of information from the rumor is also the most interesting, as it states that Zach Cregger, most well-known for directing the 2022 film Barbarian, would helm the movie. This also lines up with a report made earlier last year. Cregger is an incredible and inspired choice to helm the film, especially given the horrific nature of the game on which the film will supposedly be based. Resident Evil 0 focuses on S.T.A.R.S member Rebecca Chambers and convict Billy Coen as the two discover the origins of the T-Virus.
‘Resident Evil Zero’ Could Thrive in the New Era of Video Game Adaptations
While Welcome to Raccoon City failed critically and financially, the supposed Resident Evil 0 film has a real chance of thriving in the theatrical landscape, especially given the recent resurgence of video game adaptations over the past few years.
Recent releases, like the global box office phenomenon that was the Super Mario Bros. Movie and the small screen adaptation of The Last of Us, have shown that audiences are willing to show up to video game adaptations that strike the delicate balance of being faithful to the source material while also standing out on their own.
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Welcome to Raccoon City wasn’t the only attempt at bringing Resident Evil to life through an adaptation in recent years, as Netflix also released a Resident Evil series on the streaming platform. The show takes place years in the future after the main events of the video games and was unfortunately also met with poor reviews from both audiences and critics. With a Resident Evil 0 adaptation, the studio has a chance to leave their mark on the zombie and video game genres.
Director Cregger’s film Barbarian is a proven horror hit and shows that the director is capable of producing a terrifying story if given the right material. Cregger also wrote the script for Barbarian, which could also mean that the creator could pen the adaptation if given the opportunity. For now, nothing is confirmed and this all remains a rumor, but its about time that the incredibly successful Resident Evil Games receive a film adaptation that is not only a legitimately good film, but also faithful to the source material.
Release Date
November 24, 2021
Runtime
107 minutes
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