Zach Cregger‘s upcoming adaptation of Resident Evil may be an original take on the beloved Capcom franchise, but one thing looks to be unchanged: the sight of blood, guts, and gore. Following a brief look at two new monstrosities in the previous trailer, Sony Pictures has released new footage featuring more of the film’s setting and its lead character, alongside subtle nods to the games that fans can appreciate.
It starts innocuous enough — a medical courier, played by Austin Abrams (Weapons), arrives at a hospital with a package and is tasked to do another run. After getting into a minor disagreement with his partner on a call, he hits someone (or is it something?) with his car and later finds himself in a dilapidated town overrun by zombies, revealed to be Raccoon City in the closing moments of the clip. “Hey, no sweat,” he responds when told that Raccoon City General is the destination of his delivery. Famous last words, bud.
Two other moments should catch the attention of franchise veterans. The first is a lingering shot of a typewriter in a room, which alludes to the save mechanic in the games, while the second references the Heavy Field shotgun shells found in Resident Evil 4. In fact, the latter is an easter egg within an easter egg, as Abrams’ character is seen rummaging through a drawer and searching for ammunition, similar to how players who open every drawer, cabinet, and crate will be rewarded with additional resources in their playthroughs. Getting immediately jumpscared by a phone after finding the shotgun shells and spotting an undead is also very much in the spirit of Resident Evil, but don’t expect to see Leon, Ada, or other established characters from the source material in any form here.
As previously reported, the adaptation is set during the events of 1998’s Resident Evil 2 and will exist separately from the gaming universe. Joining Abrams on the roster are Zach Cherry (Severance), Kali Reis (True Detective), and Paul Walter Hauser (The Naked Gun) as scientists working for Umbrella, as well as Johnno Wilson (Twisted Metal) in an undisclosed role. A 95-minute runtime has been set, with Cregger on scriptwriting duty alongside Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4).
Resident Evil is slated for theatrical release on 18 September.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
