No One Is Sold On Netflix's Resident Evil Series
Just when you think Hollywood has run out of ways to ruin Resident Evil, Netflix is here to prove the cash cow is still primed for milking. While Resident Evil is going great guns in the medium of video games since Resident Evil 7 breathed new life into this rotten corpse, the same can't be said for its live-action and animated outings.
Jumping into the party is Netflix, with the simply titled Resident Evil. Unlike last year's four-part Infinite Darkness animated series, it's back into live-action for the Umbrella Corporation. While the name might suggest another origin story, this tale picks up with a brand-new narrative focussing on Albert Wesker and his children across two timelines.
What Is The New Resident Evil Series?
Netflix has shown off its first look at Resident Evil ahead of a July 14 release. A series of vibrant posters tease the show's arrival, and to be honest, we're at least intrigued by a vial that's labelled "joy". Netflix promises the show will have "the best of the Resident Evil DNA," but we just ain't buying it.
Starring Lost's Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker, the series follows sisters Jade and Billie Wesker across two timelines. As well as honing in on the pre-apocalypse in New Racoon City, things jump forward 14 years to 2036, as Jade tries to survive a world ravaged by monsters. Safe to say, audiences were just as sceptical, with many reminding us we've been here before with promises of a great Resident Evil adaptation.
One critic joked, "I'm not watching because it's going to be Gilmore Girls in Raccoon City," while another added, "If this is bad I’m just going to deem RE as cursed because how is it so hard to make these good." A third concluded: "Everyone is making jokes how 'Netflix will f**k it up'. Have you seen the resident evil movies? There is literally nowhere to go but up The bar is under the ground at this point."
What's Next For Resident Evil?
Once upon a time, the Resident Evil name was known for Screen Gems' campy and adrenaline-filled movie series that was headed up by Paul W.S. Anderson. Breaking with tradition from Capcom's games, Anderson introduced Milla Jovovich as the original creation of Alice. The movies may have been an OTT adventure that threw Capcom's lore out the window, and while they weren't exactly Oscar-worthy, they were a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, Johannes Roberts' game-accurate Welcome to Raccoon City was a commercial and critical car crash. Much like the Hellboy reboot, we were left pining for the previous iteration. It was seemingly too hard to cram the first two games into one movie - leaving Welcome to Raccoon City as a bloated mess. Although it remains to be seen when/if the Resiverse will return to the silver screen, Netflix's offering could be the t chance saloon for our hopes of anything more than an "average" Resident Evil adaptation.
