Resident Evil 6 Will Continue With Paul W.S. Anderson
The subtitling of Paul W. S. Anderson’s Resident Evil franchise can be a little difficult to keep track of (though not as difficult as the game series, where a numbered installment only comes along once in a blue moon), so a quick recap might be useful before discussing the latest news regarding Resident Evil 6. The film series has so far been roughly divided into two trilogies, the first consisting of Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Resident Evil: Extinction, with the saga continuing in Resident Evil: Afterlife and Resident Evil: Retribution. At this point, we probably need a mnemonic by which to remember all the subtitles.
Despite having confirmation of the release date for Resident Evil 6 back in , it was not yet certain whether Anderson would choose to direct once again or if his schedule would require him to delegate the job as he did with Apocalypse and Extinction. Now it’s official – Paul W.S. Anderson will direct Resident Evil 6.
First Showing has confirmed that Anderson will definitely be returning as both director and producer and will begin shooting the film this fall. Perhaps it’s fitting that – having produced all of the Resident Evil films so far directed three of them – Anderson should be at the helm for what is supposed to be the concluding chapter of the second trilogy (and based on the poor critical reception and declining box office profits, it might also be the final installment of the franchise).
As far as we know, Anderson is still attached to direct an adaptation of another video game, Castlevania. He’s also lined up to direct Pompeii, a disaster movie based on the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed an entire city in AD 79. Pompeii was originally supposed to start filming in spring 2012, but now appears to be back on track with Kit Harrington recently announced to play the lead role.
No plot details for RE6 have yet been released, but fans of the existing Resident Evil films will probably have a good idea of what to expect. Milla Jovovich is set to return as Alice, and the perennial bad guys of the Umbrella Corporation will no doubt be back again, joined by the undead and mutated horrors that they've unleashed upon the world. Anderson plans to shoot Resident Evil 6 in 3D, as he did with Afterlife and Retribution.
Whether or not the franchise will rise once more, in the form of a reboot or further additions to the existing saga, will no doubt depend largely on the box office success of Resident Evil 6. Despite the occasional Razzie nomination, the Resident Evil films have been fairly reliable in terms of profit, with the last installment grossing over $220m worldwide.
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Resident Evil 6 opens in theaters on September 12th, 2014.