Resident Evil (film series)

Resident Evil
Cover for the 2012 The Resident Evil Collection Blu-Ray box-set of the first five films
Produced by	Paul W. S. Anderson Jeremy Bolt
Written by	Paul W. S. Anderson
Based on	Resident Evil by Capcom
Starring	Milla Jovovich
Production company	Constantin Film
Distributed by	Screen Gems
Country	United Kingdom Germany Canada
Budget	$250 million
Box office	$915.9 million

The Resident Evil film series consists of six science fiction action-horror films loosely based on the Capcom video games of the same name. Constantin Film bought the rights to the first film in January 1997 with Alan B. McElroy and George A. Romero as potential writers. In 2001, Sony Entertainment acquired distribution rights and hired Paul W. S. Anderson as writer and director for Resident Evil (2002). Anderson continued on as writer and producer for the sequels, Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), and returned as the director for Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016).

The fictional Umbrella Corporation, which acts as the main antagonist in the series, is a bioengineering pharmaceutical company that creates bioweapons. Umbrella was responsible for the zombie apocalypse, which occurred after the corporation's T-virus infected the Earth's population. The films follow protagonist Alice, an original character created for the films portrayed by Milla Jovovich. Alice, who was once a security operative working for Umbrella, becomes an enemy of the corporation. Characters from the video game series also appeared in the film series, including Jill Valentine, Carlos Olivera, Claire Redfield, Albert Wesker, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, Leon S. Kennedy and Ada Wong.

Despite consistent negative reviews, with five films released, the Resident Evil film series is the highest-grossing film series to be based on video games of all time, having grossed US$915 million worldwide.^[1]

Films

Resident Evil (2002)

Actress Milla Jovovich portrays Alice in the film series.

In January 1997, Constantin Film acquired the rights to the Resident Evil franchise with Alan B. McElroy possibly writing the script.^[2] By 2001, Columbia TriStar was in final negotiations to acquire North American distribution rights to Resident Evil and budgeted the movie at $40 million.^[3] George A. Romero was hired by Sony and Capcom to direct and write Resident Evil. His script was later rejected and he was ultimately dropped.^[4] Capcom producer Yoshiki Okamoto stated that "Romero's script wasn't good, so Romero was fired".^[5] Paul W. S. Anderson was then hired by Sony to write a screenplay and in late 2000, Anderson was announced as director and writer.^[6][6] Anderson stated the film would not include any tie-ins with the video game series as "under-performing movie tie-ins are too common and Resident Evil, of all games, deserved a good celluloid representation".^[7] In 2001, Milla Jovovich was cast as Alice, the protagonist of the film.^[8]

In the film, the Umbrella Corporation operates a top-secret genetic research facility named The Hive. Located deep beneath Raccoon City, The Hive has been sealed by The Red Queen (the AI that controls the Hive) due to the release of the T-Virus into the facility. The Red Queen kills every living thing in the facility to ensure that the T-Virus doesn't reach the surface, but the T-Virus reanimates them, transforming the humans into ravenous zombies and the animals into highly aggressive mutants. Alice (Milla Jovovich) was once a security operative working for the Corporation until her memory was wiped by the Red Queen's nerve gas. As the team attempts to escape The Hive, an Umbrella test subject, a huge monster called the Licker, escapes and pursues the team. When they reach the train that leads them to the exit, the Licker attacks and scratches Matt before Alice can kill it. When they reach the surface, Matt is taken away by Umbrella workers and he eventually transforms into Nemesis. Alice wakes from a coma to a ravaged Raccoon City after a T-Virus outbreak.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

The sequel to the first film began production in 2003 after the success of the first film.^[9] Anderson returned as the writer but, due to his work on Alien vs. Predator, he did not direct the film. Alexander Witt took over the director's role.

In the film, the viral outbreak reaches the surface and in an effort to contain the infection, Major Timothy Cain seals all exits to and from Raccoon City. Among the people trapped in the city are Jill Valentine and her partner Peyton Wells. After Alice awakens from her coma, she rescues Jill and Peyton from a group of Licker monsters who escaped The Hive. They are then contacted by Dr. Charles Ashford, who claims to know of an evacuation point in the city in exchange for the rescue of his daughter Angela Ashford, who is trapped in Raccoon City. The group know that Umbrella plans to incinerate Raccoon City to get rid of the T-Virus. On their way to rescue Angela, Nemesis attacks the team after it is commanded by Cain to kill all STARS members. After Angela's rescue, they then make their way to the evacuation helicopter with Carlos Olivera, who has been dropped into Raccoon City and abandoned by Umbrella. After Alice's confrontation with Cain and Nemesis, which leaves the latter two dead, the team flies away from Raccoon City as it is being "sanitized" by a nuclear bomb. The helicopter crashes in the Arklay Mountains. A wounded Alice is the only person found by an Umbrella search team. She is taken to the Detroit Umbrella research station. When Alice awakens, she escapes the facility and displays extraordinary powers. She is then driven away by Jill and Carlos, who are disguised as Umbrella employees. As they drive away, the Umbrella logo flashes in Alice's eyes and Isaacs states "Project Alice Activated".

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

In November 2005, Screen Gems gained the rights for the third installment in the franchise, which was then subtitled Afterlife.^[10] Anderson returned as a writer and filming took place in Mexico. Russell Mulcahy was the director. The film was released on September 21, 2007.^[11]

In the film, the world has been consumed by the T-Virus and Umbrella Corporation develops clones of Alice in the hope of finding one who displays Alice's powers. Elsewhere, Claire Redfield leads a convoy of survivors across the Nevada desert, including Raccoon City survivors Carlos Olivera and L.J. Wayne. Alice roams the country in search of survivors. After failing to find living people, she comes into contact with Redfield's convoy after which, she rescues them from a mob of attacking crows using her special telekinesis powers. The convoy, along with Alice, heads to Las Vegas to gather supplies so that they can reach Alaska in an effort to get to a place called Arcadia, which is thought to be a safe haven. While there, they are ambushed by a group of Umbrella Corporation's new super zombies created by Dr. Sam Isaacs, which kill most of the convoy. L.J was bitten before but he hides his infection from the rest of the group, he then transforms and bites Olivera, amidst the ambush. Isaacs himself is bitten and in an effort to cure himself he injects himself with large doses of the anti-virus, which causes him to transform into a Tyrant, a towering creature with regenerative ability and psionic powers similar to Alice's. Alice, Claire and Carlos then locate a helicopter in Umbrella base and plan to use it for extraction of the survivors to Alaska. Carlos makes his last stand by sacrificing himself and plowing his truck against a horde of zombies, giving the rest some time to load the survivors into the helicopter. Claire and the remaining survivors head towards Alaska, while Alice stays behind to confront Isaacs. While searching the facility for Isaacs, she discovers that she was cloned. After Alice defeats Isaacs, she contacts Umbrella and warns them that she is coming for them and that she will be bringing "friends" with her to fight them.

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Before the third installment had been released, Constantin prepared to release a fourth entry.^[12] The film was set in Japan and filmed in 3D with the Fusion Camera System developed by James Cameron and Vince Pace for the 2009 film Avatar.^[13] The film was written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson.

Set after the events of Extinction, Alice and her clones attack the Umbrella Headquarters in Tokyo. Wesker escapes and destroys the facility, killing the clones. Wesker is confronted by Alice aboard his helicopter. He injects Alice with a serum that removes her super-human abilities. The helicopter crashes, and only Alice is seen emerging from the rubble. After months of a failed aerial search for other survivors, Alice heads toward the supposed location of Arcadia. She lands on an airfield in Alaska, where she finds Claire in a different state. Claire has an Umbrella controlling device attached to her chest and her memory has been wiped. Claire and Alice fly to Los Angeles, where they stumble on a prison where they meet Luther West and Chris Redfield, Claire's brother. The survivors explain that Arcadia is really a tanker off the coast that has been broadcasting a looped message and is picking up survivors. During an attempted escape, Alice, Claire and Chris are the only ones to emerge and they reach the tanker only to find it abandoned. Claire's memory begins to return when she remembers Umbrella workers attacking her group of survivors and moving them to the tanker. They learn that the ship is an Umbrella research facility, which is conducting experiments on the survivors. The three then meet Wesker, who has been granted super-human abilities due to the T-Virus. After the fight, Alice transmits a message to survivors calling them to the tanker and hopes to create a new and true safe haven. As the film closes, a fleet of Umbrella Corporation gunships led by Valentine prepares to lead an assault on the survivors.

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Written and directed by Anderson, Retribution was planned to be filmed back to back with the sixth installment, but Anderson decided to focus on the fifth film.^[14] Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario from mid-October to December 23, 2011.^[15] Colin Salmon who played One and Michelle Rodriguez who played Rain Ocampo in the first film returned.^[16][17] Oded Fehr, who portrayed Carlos Olivera in the second and third film, also returned. Three characters from the video games made their debut in the film series, Johann Urb as Leon S. Kennedy, Kevin Durand as Barry Burton, and Li Bingbing as Ada Wong.^{[18][19][20][21]} It was released internationally on September 14, 2012.^[15]

In the film, Alice awakens in an Umbrella base where she is interrogated by Valentine. During a power failure orchestrated by Ada Wong, Alice escapes from her cell and encounters her. Wong explains that Wesker plans to aid Alice's escape and battle the base's supercomputer Red Queen, in order to save what's left of mankind. Wesker has organized a team of freelance operatives to infiltrate the base and help Alice and Ada escape, including Leon S. Kennedy, Barry Burton, and Luther West. Along the way, Alice finds a clone of a girl named Becky. They also face clone versions of Carlos Olivera, One, and Rain Ocampo, who are all under the direction of Valentine. After Alice meets up with the rescue team, Valentine's soldiers catch up to them, resulting in a shootout that kills Burton, Olivera and One. Alice, West, Kennedy, and Becky reach the surface and are met by a submarine, from which Valentine, the clone Rain, and a captured Ada emerge. With new orders from the Red Queen to kill Alice, Valentine battles Alice while Rain fights Kennedy and West. Alice manages to remove the scarab device from Valentine, returning her back to normal. Alice joins Kennedy in defeating Rain. Alice, Ada, Becky, Leon, and Valentine travel to Wesker's base. Wesker injects Alice with the T-virus, returning her former superhuman powers in order to enact his plan, then tells her that she is responsible for saving the remaining humans from extinction.^[22]

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

Anderson is writing and directing the sixth and final film in the series, tentatively subtitled The Final Chapter, which began filming in September 2015.^[23][24][25] The movie will be in stereoscopic 3D. Milla Jovovich and Li Bingbing are reprising their roles as Alice and Ada.^[26] Continuing from the last film which brought back several characters from the first two movies, Anderson expressed his desire for the final film to "come full circle", bringing back characters, themes and the environment of the Hive from the first movie.^[23] Filming was set to begin in South Africa in August 2014 but was delayed to the summer of 2015 due to Jovovich's pregnancy. Principal photography commenced on September 18, 2015 in South Africa.^[25] The plot picks up immediately after the end of the previous movie and will see Alice returning to Raccoon City where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces. The film is set for release on December 23, 2016 in Japan and on January 27, 2017 in North America.^[27][28]

Cast and characters

Crew

Reception

Box office performance

Sans the first film, all films opened at #1 at North American box office. The series holds the record for the "most live-action film adaptations of a video game" in the 2012 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition. It is also the highest-grossing film series to be based on a video game grossing over $900 million worldwide.^[1]

Critical and public response

All films received negative response from critics. However, The Chicago Tribune declare the first film as "one of the few video game movies to truly re-create the gaming experience"^[46] and The Austin Chronicle calling it "an absolute wreck. But what an ambitiously mind-blowing wreck it is, bursting with dazzlingly sordid cinematography".^[47] The Seattle Times marked the second film an improvement from the original, saying the film "makes up for the wretched mess that was 2002's "Resident Evil"".^[48] The Hollywood Reporter gave the third film a positive review stating "Fast-paced and filled with brisk action sequences—the film should reasonably satisfy the devotees."^[49] Michael Ordoña of The Los Angeles Times gave the fourth film a positive review, claiming that "the action is easier to read than in most films of the genre, and therefore more enjoyable. Anderson makes particular use of sets and locations to wring out more bang for the stereoscopic buck."^[50]

Novelizations

The novelizations for the first three Resident Evil films were written by Keith R. A. DeCandido. The novelization for the fifth film was written by John Shirley. The fourth film did not receive a novelization.

The novel for the first film, titled Resident Evil: Genesis, was published over two years after that film's release, while the Extinction novel was released in late July 2007, two months before the film's release. There was also a Japanese novelization of the first film, unrelated to DeCandido's version, written by Osamu Makino. Makino also wrote two novels based on the game Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.

Home media releases

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first five films on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download. The films were also released on DVD and Blu-ray box sets:

References

External links

• Resident Evil film series at AllMovie