A couple of years ago, Sony tried to bring Resident Evil back to life in live-action with Welcome to Raccoon City, which, sad to say, didn’t quite catch on with the moviegoing masses. Then we had Netflix get in the mix with the live-action series based on the beloved video game series from Capcom. That ended up being a one-and-done situation as well. So where does that leave us? You’d be forgiven for not realizing there is a feature-length animated film set within the franchise this summer, but it’s absolutely happening - and it’s going to be an R-rated affair.
Last month brought with it the above surprise teaser trailer for an animated film titled Resident Evil: Death Island. Now, as per Bloody Disgusting, we have word that the MPAA has given it an R rating for “bloody violence and language.” Good news there. Beyond that, we know the movie is actually a sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil: Vendetta. It was directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (Assassination Classroom), working from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (Psycho-Pass). As for the story at hand? The synopsis reads as follows:
“D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy is on a mission to rescue Dr. Antonio Taylor from kidnappers, when a mysterious woman thwarts his pursuit. Meanwhile, B.S.A.A. agent Chris Redfield is investigating a zombie outbreak in San Francisco, where the cause of the infection cannot be identified. The only thing the victims have in common is that they all visited Alcatraz Island recently. Following that clue, Chris and his team head to the island, where a new horror awaits them.”
Though this is seemingly coming out of nowhere with very little fanfare to go around, it’s hardly the first time that the series has gone the animated route. The first film of this sort came out in 2008 with Resident Evil: Degeneration, which was followed by 2012’s Resident Evil: Damnation. Then we had Vendetta in 2017. Not to mention that Netflix also released the animated series Infinite Darkness in 2021.
On the video game side of things, fans also have the much-anticipated Resident Evil 4 remake to look forward to, which is due to hit shelves later this month. So, while we probably won’t be seeing another live-action take on the T-Virus anytime soon, fans certainly have plenty to look forward to in the not-too-distant future.
Resident Evil: Death Island does not yet have a release date, but look for it sometime this summer.
