2021's panned Resident Evil movie seemingly getting a sequel
Maybe one day, someone will get a live-action Resident Evil outing right. The Milla Jovovich-led series was plenty of popcorn fun that discarded Capcom's games, while Johannes Roberts' Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City failed to live up to the hype for many.
Roberts promised a faithful adaptation of the games that pulled from the original and its 1998 sequel, and while it was definitely that, Welcome to Raccoon City was still called out for one-dimensional characters and dodgy CGI. Love it or loathe the movie, it looks like you could be getting a sequel.
Welcome to Raccoon City sequel seemingly confirmed
Click to enlargeAs spotted by Reddit user u/ferzetto, there's a strange listing for something called "Umbrella Chronicles," filming in Sudbury, Ontario. Given that the Canadian town was the filming location for the titular Raccoon City of the 2021 movie, it's not too much of a leap.
If that wasn't enough, the production company that worked on Welcome to Raccoon City is reportedly handling this mysterious project. News outlet Sudbury.com claims, "The Greater Sudbury area is receiving an $11-million [CAD] boost from the provincial government."
There's no word on where the story goes next, but with the first movie combining elements from the first and second game, we're guessing 1999's Resident Evil: Nemesis could be on the cards. Then again, it ran concurrently with the second game, so we're not sure how this would work. Thankfully, we've got some ideas.
What story could a Welcome to Raccoon City sequel tell?
Click to enlargeDespite promoting Lily Gao's Ada Wong as something of a big deal in the cast, the suave spy only appeared in the mid-credit scene to clearly tease a sequel. Roberts himself has said he'd love to bring Code: Veronica to life, meaning those disappointed we haven't had a game remake could have their hunger stifled.
As Resdi fans will know, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles was a perfectly fine light gun shooter that filled in some of the gaps between games - like how Albert Wesker survived the Spencer Mansion incident. Considering Welcome to Raccoon City told that arc, we could logically pick up here.
Roberts has also said he imagined a sequel heading into Resident Evil 4 territory. Given the recent success of Capcom's remake, that would be a popular idea. However, with the first movie being criticised for streamlining the games, Roberts might be better off taking it one title at a time.
While a Welcome to Raccoon City sequel might not have been on many people's 2023 bingo card, we'd definitely give it a chance. After all, it can't be worse than Resident Evil: The Final Chapter killing all your favourites off-screen.
