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Resident Evil Origin Story Reboot Film Casts Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Entertainment news website Deadline reported on Tuesday that Constantin Film has revealed the main cast and scenario for its first live-action film reboot of CAPCOM's Resident Evil survival horror game franchise. The reboot with "faithful ties" to the games will be set in Raccoon City on a night in 1998.
The cast will include Kaya Scodelario (Maze Runner) as Claire Redfield, Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp) as Jill Valentine, Robbie Amell (Upload) as Chris Redfield, Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy) as Albert Wesker, Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap) as Leon S. Kennedy, and Neal McDonough (Yellowstone) as William Birkin.
As announced in December 2018, Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) is writing and directing the film.
The franchise's producer Robert Kulzer is returning for the project, and James Harris of Tea Shop Productions and Hartley Gorenstein are also producers. Constantin Film CEO Martin Moszkowicz and Victor Hadida from Davis Film are executive producers, and Alex Westmore and Colin Scully of Constantin Film are overseeing the film.
Sony Pictures' Screen Gems will distribute the film in the United States, while Constantin Film will handle distribution in German-speaking territories. Elevation will distribute the film in Canada, Metropolitan will distribute it in France, and Sony Pictures Releasing International will be in charge of "much of the remaining territories."
Entertainment industry news website Variety previously reported that the film was expected to start production in 2019 with a new cast. Variety also reported that the upcoming reboot film will be the first of six.
The franchise is also receiving a separate Netflix Original Series live-action adaptation with Bronwen Hughes (The Walking Dead) directing the series at Constantin Film. Andrew Dabb (Supernatural) is writing the script. Hughes and Dabb are executive producers with Marry Leah Sutton and Constantin Film's Robert Kulzer and Oliver Berben.
Constantin Film produced all six films in the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed Resident Evil franchise. The company hired Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) to direct and write the first reboot film for the Resident Evil film franchise.
The first Resident Evil zombie apocalypse film based on CAPCOM's survival horror 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: Deadline (Amanda N'Duka, Anthony D'Alessandro)
