A Live-Action Monster Hunter Movie Is in the Works, with Mila Jovovich Set to Star

Production on a live-action Monster Hunter movie will begin in September and Paul W.S. Anderson, director of the live-action Resident Evil movies, has just turned in the latest draft of the script, per Variety. He will also be reteaming with the production company behind the Resident Evil movies, Constantin Films, and those movies’ main star, Mila Jovovich, for the forthcoming Monster Hunter adaptation.

A live-action Monster Hunter film has been rumbling around in Hollywood for the better part of two years as Anderson has, in that time period, released small going about the film’s story: It will take place in our world, with a central character going in and out of a fantasy world and reality in order to keep monsters from invading the modern world. Granted, movies change as they get closer to production so that minimal plot synopsis is subject to change.

In casting Jovovich as the star and in reteaming with the production company involved in the creation of the Resident Evil movies, the comparison to that prior franchise is inevitable. While profitable, they fared far worse with critics and videogame movies are rarely known for their quality. On a positive note, Jovovich was always the best part of those movies and her presence as an action star is ever-welcome.

Monster Hunter fans are a dedicated bunch, so this movie may be made with them in mind. Yet, judging by how the Resident Evil movies turned out, the Monster Hunter movie will likely not appeal to fans of the franchise and critics alike—no matter how many monsters get whacked by 20-foot-long hammers.

Will the Monster Hunter movie be the exception to the videogame movie curse? Probably, almost assuredly, not. Will it be profitable? If the Resident Evil movies and their profit margins are any inclinations into how Monster Hunter will fare at the worldwide box-office, then yes, it will be profitable.