Resident Evil has been a lot of things since the first video game debuted in 1996. The original game spawned sequels, spin-offs and remakes. There were six films starring Milla Jovovich that made $1.2 billion, making them the highest grossing video game film franchise of all-time. There have been animated films and novels and comics. And now the series will rise again as a Netflix show. Via Deadline:
No one is commenting but I hear the plan is for the series to expand the Resident Evil universe and deepen the exiting mythology. I hear the series will keep the basic premise, which also served as a setup for the movie franchise. The drama series will explore the dark inner workings of the Umbrella Corporation and the new world order caused by the outbreak of the T-virus. While the project is in early stages, the series is expected to incorporate all of Resident Evil’s signature elements, including action sequences and “easter eggs.”
It’s easy to see why Netflix would be interested. The Walking Dead has had a streaming home on Netflix since 2011 and it is one of the most popular television shows by any metric. Combining the popularity of the zombie genre that The Walking Dead has dominated with the built-in following of Resident Evil is a no-brainer.
The larger scope of a series could erase any issues the original films. While they made money, none of the films had a Rotten Tomatoes score above 38%. Paul W.S. Anderson wrote the original Resident Evil film, as well as all of the sequels; Apocalypse (2004), Extinction (2007), Afterlife (2010), Retribution (2012), and The Final Chapter (2016). He also directed the original and the final three. If the existing movies and upcoming series aren’t enough, there is also a six-picture reboot in the works. This series just won’t die.
(Deadline)
