Resident Evil has become a pop culture giant, and now it aims to become even bigger with its first ever live-action series slated for release on Netflix this coming July 14th. Actor Lance Reddick (The Wire, Bosch, Horizon: Zero Dawn) is attached to the project and will be playing the role of Albert Wesker, the sunglasses-wearing embodiment of government conspiracies and clandestine machinations.
Netflix has released a summary for the series. It reads:
“2036 – 14 years after a deadly virus caused a global apocalypse, Jade Wesker fights for survival in a world overrun by the blood-thirsty infected and insane creatures. In this absolute carnage, Jade is haunted by her past in New Raccoon City, by her father’s chilling connections to the Umbrella Corporation but mostly by what happened to her sister, Billie.”
Judging by the main character’s name, it’s safe to assume the story is hedging its bets on Wesker’s history being compelling enough to build an entire series on. I’d say it is. His place in the RE universe can be compared to that of the Cigarette Smoking Man’s in The X-Files tv show. He’s the shadowy observer, the backstage manipulator whose limitless knowledge of everything secret turns him into the very essence of what makes ‘deep background’ character types so easy to obsess over.
The focus on a future setting is surprising, even if the time jump is little more than a decade from our own time. In the context of COVID, going for a post-pandemic scenario might allow the story to look back into recent events and comment on the many missteps we took as a people from all corners of society. Of course, you take all that and add zombies to it to get that special RE flavor.
Netflix has also released three teaser posters that reassure fans the basic elements of the game’s universe will transfer over into the series. One of them, for instance, shows a vial that contains a blood sample marked positive for the T-Virus. Another presents an Umbrella Corp pill covered in blood that carries the name of JOY. It’s all in the details and the posters make sure any first impressions ramp up fan excitement.
For those eager to jump into the RE extended universe, Netflix already has a solid animated series called Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. It follows an international investigation led by Leon and Claire as new signs of the same zombie outbreak that descended upon them in Raccoon City start to surface once more. It’s a digital animation that plays out much like an extended cinematic sequence ripped straight from one of the games but with a serviceable storyline and well-choreographed action moments to round out the experience.
With the Netflix series on the horizon, expect to see more information to pour out in the coming weeks. A trailer drop should be imminent. The biggest question surrounding the show is how faithful it will be to the source material. The Milla Jovovich-ledResident Evil movies have a fanbase, but they were quick to ditch the games after a few entries. Netflix has a chance to set a new standard for the license. In an already crowded zombie arena, Resident Evil has a unique chance to rule the land. It has to make sure it gets the zombies and the monsters right, though.
Source: Graphic Policy
