Deadline is reporting this morning that execs over at Netflix have apparently greenlit a new Resident Evil scripted series, from the makers of the seemingly never-ending series of feature films, Constantin Film. So if any of you were hoping that a new production company would do justice to the old Capcom videogame series, well, we’ve got some bad news for you.
The Resident Evil film series, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring his wife Milla Jovovich, first arrived way back in 2002, and became progressively more unhinged over the course of five sequels with one-word subtitles like Afterlife and Retribution. Despite the critical savagery that each attracted, though, they were all money makers, and the series has pulled in more than $1.2 billion in box office to date. And so here we are. According to Deadline:
No one is commenting but I hear the plan is for the series to expand the Resident Evil universe and deepen the exiting mythology. I hear the series will keep the basic premise, which also served as a setup for the movie franchise. The drama series will explore the dark inner workings of the Umbrella Corporation and the new world order caused by the outbreak of the T-virus. While the project is in early stages, the series is expected to incorporate all of Resident Evil’s signature elements, including action sequences and “easter eggs.”
No word yet on whether the series would be returning to that mansion in the woods where the Resident Evil series first begins, or whether it would pick up in the wake of the film adaptations, but the former seems more likely. We’ll bring you more news on the Resident Evil series adaptation as it breaks.