fbpx

Netflix’s Live-Action Resident Evil Series To Feature An Original, Brand-New Narrative

Zombie apocalypses have made their appearances on the silver screen over and over again, and while some may already be experiencing undead fatigue, others remain hooked to the genre. In the case of Netflix, the zombie hype will soon welcome a new lease of life yet again, with a Resident Evil live-action series set to join the family.

The news comes about six months after the streamer accidentally leaked details about the project. Back then, the synopsis included mentions of a new location called Clearfield, a fictional American town exclusive to the show that hinted at the possibility of an original story. As it turns out, Resident Evil will indeed tell a brand-new narrative across two timelines.

Advertisement ▼

Here’s an updated synopsis of the show, courtesy of Netflix:

In the first timeline, fourteen-year-old sisters Jade and Billie Wesker are moved to New Raccoon City. A manufactured, corporate town, forced on them right as adolescence is in full swing. But the more time they spend there, the more they come to realize that the town is more than it seems and their father may be concealing dark secrets. Secrets that could destroy the world. Cut to the second timeline, well over a decade into the future: there are less than fifteen million people left on Earth. And more than six billion monsters – people and animals infected with the T-virus. Jade, now thirty, struggles to survive in this New World, while the secrets from her past – about her sister, her father, and herself – continue to haunt her.”

Those who are familiar with the lore of Resident Evil should have caught the reference to antagonist Albert Wesker, who is likely to be the father of the protagonist duo. The portrayal doesn’t stray too far off from game lore: Resident Evil 6 revealed Jake Muller as the man’s son, and a handful of children who were experimented upon also took on the Wesker name.

No casting information has been announced thus far, but the company did reveal that the eight-episode first season will see Andrew Dabb (Supernatural) as showrunner and writer, as well as Bronwen Hudges from The Walking Dead as the director of the first two episodes. Both men will serve as executive producers alongside Constantin Film’s Robert Kulzer and Oliver Berben, and Mary Leah Sutton.

This is hardly the franchise’s first gig at pulling off a live-action adaptation. Over the course of 2002 to 2016, actress Milla Jovovich fronted a series of Resident Evil movies, which were mediocre at best. It’d perhaps be best to reserve judgement until a debut trailer drops, although the promise of “a lot of old friends, and some things (bloodthirsty, insane things) people have never seen before” does pique our interest and excitement. Just a little.