Last year, “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” hit cinemas, but only the most naive could assume that Costantin Film, who own the movie rights for the big screen video game adaptation, would simply let the property fade away.
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At the Cannes Film Festival, the company revealed that a reboot is in the works, but this should hardly be a surprise to anyone. In a genre that is littered with failures, “Resident Evil” has been a consistent moneymaker, particularly overseas, and the six films in the series led by Milla Jovovich have earned $1.2 billion worldwide. While ‘The Final Chapter’ was the lowest grossing entry stateside, the film is actually the best performing “Resident Evil” effort ever, earning $312 million globally. There is still an audience out there for these movies, and Constantin isn’t going to leave that money behind.
James Wan (“Aquaman,” “The Conjuring“) has been tapped to produce the reboot, with Greg Russo penning the script, and a whole new cast being assembled for the first film of what’s expected to be a new franchise. No word yet on a director. [Variety/Deadline]