It is a pretty safe bet to say that the Resident Evil franchise has been on the upswing lately. On the games side of things there has been news of Resident Evil 7, the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, and the upcoming Resident Evil Village. The series has arguably never been hotter since its inception in 1996. I don’t just mean Lady Dimitrescu, either. The film side of things have been quiet for quite some time though. The mercifully titled Resident Evil: The Final Chapter hit theaters in 2016 and nothing has been seen since. Until not too long ago, when we heard that a Resident Evil reboot movie was in the works. Today is more good news, because we now have the Resident Evil reboot movie release date, courtesy of Deadline.
When it comes to news about films, the three most trusted sources are The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Deadline. So there is no grain of salt to be taken here. You can take this news to the bank. Which is what Sony plans to do when the film releases on Labor Day Weekend of this year on Friday, September 3. Since Paul “What Script” Anderson has moved on to desecrating another beloved Capcom franchise (Monster Hunter), this new film plans to actually, ya know, be based on the video games. Wild concept, I know.
The director, Johnannes Roberts, also helmed the 47 Meters Down franchise, so he has experience handling action and cheesy horror. Which is a perfect fit for the Resident Evil franchise. The film will be a retelling of the first two games. It will star Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Neal McDonough as William Berkin, and Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker. That is a solid cast with a lot of potential.
That’s a wrap in Raccoon City. ?
diREcted by Johannes Roberts pic.twitter.com/q5mmQxjFQo— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) December 28, 2020
Putting the ‘RE’ in reboot
Cramming both games together sounds like a good way to get a jumbled script, but it can still be pulled off if handled correctly. I would have preferred for each game to get its own movie, but I digress. There is no word on a trailer yet, but I wouldn’t expect one anytime soon. It also remains to be seen if this will release in theaters, which is doubtful as of right now due to the pandemic. It is also unknown what streaming services it may go to if the whole “going to a theater” thing is still untenable come release.
The Resident Evil reboot movie release date is set for September 2021.
