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Johannes Roberts Directs, Writes Live-Action Resident Evil Reboot Film
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The entertainment industry news website Variety reported on Wednesday that German film production company Constantin Film has hired Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) to direct and write the first reboot film for the Resident Evil film franchise. Variety stated the film is expected to start production next year with a new cast.
A previous report by entertainment news website Deadline in May 2017 stated that Greg Russo (Mortal Kombat reboot film, Robotech) would write the scripts, with James Wan (director for Saw, Furious 7, The Conjuring) producing the film.
Constantin Film, which produced all six films in the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed Resident Evil franchise, and Michael Clear (Lights Out) for Atomic Monster will also produce the film. Variety previously reported that the upcoming reboot film will be the first of six.
The first Resident Evil zombie apocalypse film based on CAPCOM's survival horror game series premiered in 2002 with actress Milla Jovovich as protagonist Alice. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the "final" live-action film, opened in Japan in December 2016, and in North America in January 2017.
The franchise has earned US$1.2 billion worldwide, with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter alone grossing US$312 million worldwide. The franchise is Europe's most successful independent horror-genre movie franchise in history and the highest-grossing film series to be based on a video game.
Constantin Film announced in 2014 that the movies will get a television show spinoff.
Anderson and his Impact Pictures producing partner Jeremy Bolt are currently working on a live-action Hollywood film adaptation of Monster Hunter, another CAPCOM video game franchise. Anderson stated that he sees the film and the game's world as an "opportunity to have a cinematic universe."
Source: Variety (Justin Kroll)
