Zombies are back, and no one can do it better than the long-running sci-fi horror series Resident Evil. Since its debut in 1987, Resident Evil has amassed a loyal fan base and a permanent position in video game lore, spanning 26 years through 14 systems and seven films, some of which were critically panned. A live-action Resident Evil adaptation is now on Netflix, and it looks like it’s heading in some fascinating directions. A fictitious Midwestern town named Raccoon City serves as the setting for the first five mainline games, in which villainous biomedical firm Umbrella Corporation conducts biological experiments. The T-virus, a mutagenic agent responsible for the zombies and other creatures stalking the heroes, is perhaps the most noteworthy of their inventions.
There are a few characters that come from the Raccoon City Police Department’s special operations unit, known as STAAR; others are citizens who have been drawn into the action by forces beyond their control. This is something to keep an eye out for when Resident Evil is out. There is nothing better than opening your eyes to a flyover of what used to be a city but is now a wasteland swarming with the maddening undead and the frightened survivors trying to flee them. An adult Jade tells us that despite what “they” stated, “the end of the world” actually occurred far earlier than 2036. Afterwards, the scene shifts to a brightly lit metropolis surrounded by lush flora.
There is a sign that reads “Welcome to New Raccoon City” as the only vehicle approaches. Jade and her sister Billie’s new house is explored by a calm female voice, who extols Umbrella Corporation, “a firm beset by controversy” that is “now seeking to remake itself.” When it comes to both the delivery of the voice and the city images, there is a spooky, Stepford-like quality to both. She grins blandly and says: “The things we’re working on today – they’re going to alter the world.” The impact is considerably heightened when we catch sight of the speaker.
When Billie places an odd-looking caterpillar on her palm, the camera follows its progress as it creeps across her skin. We watch Jade fleeing from a giant, monster worm as the pavement breaks and crimson dirt erupts from the ground. It’s possible for T-virus to create monsters,” he continues, and as he talks, we see some of those creatures in action: shambling undead humans, and an even more nasty undead dog. When we see Billie again, she looks to be dead or comatose, and we can hear tiny Jade crying in pain.
Until we see an adult Jade covered in blood, more horrifying images of Billie, other survivors, and strange beasts pass by. She yells an obscenity, gets to her feet, and rips through the store like a chainsaw wielder. The series slogan, “Evil Has Evolved,” is spliced in between shots of Jade and others battling back against the zombie hordes.
Resident Evil’s Release Date
Resident Evil will premiere exclusively on Netflix on July 14, 2022. There’s no word on a physical release yet; it may depend on how well the new show does with audiences.
Resident Evil’s Storyline
The narrative will take place over the course of two separate decades. They are relocating to New Raccoon City in 2022 with their father, Albert, who is a biotechnologist of some sort. Joy, a new anti-anxiety medicine released by Umbrella Corporation, which was responsible for a huge breakout of T-virus zombies more than 20 years ago, quickly turns their new home into a nightmare. In the midst of the commotion, Billie suffers an unclear but horrific fate. With her life, but without her sister, Jade manages to flee. Jade, a survivor of the zombie apocalypse in London in 2036, tells us about her life in a world where only 15 million people remain. It will depend on what happened to Billie and her father, Albert Wesker, who helped orchestrate this catastrophe and whose fate is thus yet unknown, and what her aspirations are outside of “survive.”
Lance Reddick, well known for his role as Charon in the John Wick trilogy of films, has been cast as Albert Wesker. To prove it, he’s appeared in White House Down as well as the computer game Horizon: Forbidden West, contributing his voice to both projects. Billie and Jade Wesker (Run Sweetheart Run) and Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels) round out the cast (No Good Nick, Upside Down Magic).
Adeline Rudolph, Paola Nuez, Ahad Raza Mir, Connor Gosatti, and Turlough Convery are among the other cast members (Belfast).