Resident Evil Flicks Headed For A Reboot

[Earnest Cavalli]

Resident Evil Flicks Headed For A Reboot

Though a fourth film based on Capcom's Resident Evil series has already been greenlit, it seems Sony Screen Gems is planning to reboot the entire franchise with film number five.

Word of Sony's intentions comes from horror flick fansite Bloody Disgusting [http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17306], which says "Instead of moving forward with the ongoing story, the studio is planning a quasi-reboot, which is tentatively titled Resident Evil Begins. While it's a long, long, long way off, the idea is to redo the story of a special military unit who fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident."

The reason Bloody Disgusting cites for Sony's decision? Sexy zombie killer Milla Jovovich, who -- though almost definitely a key reason for the franchise's success so far -- is "getting expensive and (increasingly) difficult to keep ... onboard."

With this in mind, let's play a game called "you're the head of Sony Screen Gems for a day." You've got an obscene budget, tons of hyper-advanced CGI, and a blank slate to work with. How would you reboot the Resident Evil franchise?

Personally, I can think of only one way to do the series justice: Live action Tofu speed run [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YILLIwIqK6A&feature=related].

Permalink

 

[Erana]

Just give me more ass-kicking stupid fun, and sure, I think I might actually go see it.
Mostly to laugh at it, 'acourse.

 

[VincentX3]

More Resident Evil = Better? I guess

 

[DaxStrife]

Funny how they're not quite admitting the last movies were total garbage (the first one had some good moments, though), but they still don't want to continue them. A reboot would definitely be a good idea, so long as they reboot it into something smart and scary instead of just another flavor of crap.

 

[Ligisttomten]

I sure hope this doesn't mean they will move on to speedy gonzales zombies. They've completely lost the whole point in survival horror with this new action-shooter style.

 

[dommyuk]

Dammit!, I wanted to know what happened next. -.-

 

[Jonny49]

Thank god, the current trilogy is complete garbage. The first film was good, but the other two were so incredibly bad it made me want to puke.

 

[scotth266]

Good. While I like the Resident Evil movies for being half-decent zombie flicks, I would like to see a more... Resident Evil-ish movie.

 

[Adam]

"the idea is to redo the story of a special military unit who fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident."

Here's a novel idea...how about you remove the soldiers fighting zombies and a super computer...cuz weve seen that shit before and it wasnt very good, not bad but nothing special. Why not make it a little more different? Go the 28 days later route and show how people handle the situation or maybe follow the games more, focus on one characters journey through a zombie infested city. Don't include the actual characters from the games because fans are never gonna be pleased with that shit. I had hopes for the resi franchise when it first started coming to cinemas, now I think they need a new director...Peter Jackson perhaps? George Romero?....Quintin Tarintino?

 

[Sulu]

They just need some actors that can act and some decent zombie CGI = instant success!

 

[xHipaboo420x]

I would much prefer a film in keeping with the original three games' aesthetics and pace. The newer games aren't as quintessentially 'survival horror' and the films were a joke, with the high box-office takings being the punchline.

There is a market for thrilling horror films, just as there is a market for quality videogame-based films. Please get it right this time.

They just need ... some decent zombie CGI

Good zombie makeup (a la the Romero trilogy) will always win out over CGI.

 

[N_of_the_dead]

Good zombie makeup (a la the Romero trilogy) will always win out over CGI.

i have to agree with that completely

and the reboot can be good maybe stick closer to the original game story just a bit more

 

[squid5580]

A remake (ya I am calling it for what it is) of a movie that is what 10 years old? Come on. Pull your heads out of your asses and at least try to think of something a bit original.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Remember Sony: You're making a RESIDENT EVIL film. NOT Star Wars. NOT The Matrix. The main character isn't a super hero, Zombies are physically unable to run but there should be at least one building-sized something in the character's way. If you don't know how to make a character human, just kidnap one off of the street. There are millions of them around and studying them is pretty easy.

Another route to avoid is the annoying side kick. Sure, we all like Gilbert Godfried but we don't want him to be a wise-cracking vegan zombie who travels with the main character. Resident Evil is never supposed to be funny on purpose. Keep that in mind Sony

 

[chronobreak]

Can we please just have zobies in a damn mansion? Not a train, not underground at a top secret base, just stick some dudes in a mansion with zombies! Need a scipt to work with? I don't know, how about using the source material?

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Yeah I saw this, and it only serves to piss me off further. Here are the reboots coming soon:

-Superman (which must be done by 2011 and there is no evidence of production or even drafts starting)

-Fantastic Four

-Mortal Kombat (2010)

-Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

-Daredevil (2010)

-this (when the fourth movie isn't even out yet)

And we had in the last decade:

-Halloween (don't even get me started)

-Hulk (O_O)

-Home Alone

-The Italian Job

And more, not to mention we'll be getting the Blob...only without the blob.

Reboots and adaptations are a damned creative sink. Why are we remaking things that have barely even existed for a decade? The whole point of a remake is to update it for a different audience, but you're pitching it to pretty much the same audience. What the fuck is going on?

And I can't even give this franchise any verdict based on it's own merits, because it started on a damned lie. I saw the production shots, I saw Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Don't take the name of an existing franchise and butcher it to your own vision just because you want extra tickets, get your own title and ideas for fuck's sake. God it was almost as bad as Wanted.

I'm one of the few people out there who is all-for remakes and reimaginings, but even I'm skeptical about this. There should be a minimum 15-20 years limitation on remaking things, or it will start to get absurd.
"Ooh, Gamer just came out, but I think we can improve on it. Lets cast Jason Statham as Kabel and Megan Fox as his wife. And we can re-cast John Leguzamo in the same role because people LOVE watching him get killed. Well, lets get moving people, I want this thing in theatres before the original comes out on DVD..."

Exactly, Batman was long enough, so will Cap America come 2011, but rebooting things that are barely even five or so years old...you think people won't just say "but wasn't there one out already?"? The fourth film isn't even out yet and the fifth is pegged for a reboot.

And methinks Millia should realise what lies beyond Resident Evil for her...

Spoiler

Not much.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

i don't know if making a Resident Evil Begins is really a reboot, it might simply just be a prequel, kinda like Resident Evil Zero was in the game series

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

They just don't know when to stop, do they? And now they've not only rebooted a horrible film franchise, they've stolen ideas in the process! If you're going to make a cheesy probably-straight-to-DVD zombie flick with no substance (EDIT- At least Diary of the Dead was made by George Romero!), at least make it quasi-original!

Bravo, Sony. Bravo.