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PlayStation is helping to make the next Resident Evil movie
- PlayStation Productions will reportedly co-produce the next Resident Evil movie
- Sources say the movie will apparently “be more faithful to the initial games”
- PlayStation will not be involved in the game series as a result of the deal
Sadly, while PlayStation is getting involved with Resident Evil, it will only be in the world of TV and film. According to the Hollywood Reporter, PlayStation Productions — the film and television wing of PlayStation — will co-produce the next Resident Evil movie alongside the series film rights holders Constantin Film.
The movie will reboot the Resident Evil franchise once again after the previous attempt to do so in 2021 with Resident Evil Welcome to Raccoon City. Barbarian writer and director Zach Cregger is signed on the co-write and direct this project, which might give some fans a reason to hope for a decent product.
Nevertheless, PlayStation’s involvement in Resident Evil will be limited to this film; the franchise will otherwise exist without the company’s involvement. All those genuinely great games will continue to be developed and produced by Capcom with Sony’s relationship as an assisting partner remaining much the same as usual.
Lee’s Take —
Please do not get excited about this
Capcom’s Resident Evil games of late all happen to be quite good, so I don’t think anyone really wants Sony’s grubby hands on this franchise at all. Still, I’ll admit that I felt a twinge of intrigue seeing the PlayStation and Resident Evil brands teaming up. The idea of one of Sony’s studios taking a swing at an RE title just sounds cool; I wouldn’t immediately bin that project!
The same cannot be said for whatever this is. I don’t care who is involved or how decent their last horror movie was — I am utterly convinced at this point that there is no Resident Evil film or TV project that can do the games any justice. Not a single attempt to adapt these games has been even half-good, and why would they be?
A stressful atmosphere, tense encounters, tough decision-making, the odd fiendish puzzle, and a campy sense of humor — that’s the Resident Evil games at their best. Those are also traits that are especially hard to adapt to non-interactive media.
Meanwhile, the stuff we tend to see films focus on — plot and characterization — constitute Resident Evil‘s weakest elements. The plots of these games are basic at their best and elaborate cartoon nonsense at their worst. You might also love a character in one game and find them inconsistent, dry, and flavorless in the next. This is not a franchise that has ever established any baseline for narrative quality.
Sure, it might be cute to see Resident Evil characters appear in a decent film or TV show for once. Yet, without those interactive elements, it would be an incredibly superficial adaptation of the franchise. Which is why I just can’t see a single reason to get excited about this. If it’s a decent movie, it won’t be thanks to either the PlayStation or Resident Evil brand; it’ll just be a good horror movie.
So, not only is it disappointing that PlayStation is not doing something fun with the Resident Evil game series, it’s also lame that what it’s actually doing is producing another film that — regardless of quality — will never capture the spirit of the games it’s adapting.
Saying all that, are the rights holders simply not allowed to adapt Resident Evil 4 for some reason? Does the setting of that game fall outside the terms of Constantin Film’s license? I bring it up because, conversely, I think that could genuinely make for a decent film as a standalone adaptation. It just seems like they constantly have to adapt the first few games.
In either case, if you were hoping PlayStation might be gearing up to add yet another Resident Evil title to the best PS5 horror games list, I’m sorry — you’ll have to dash those hopes immediately. What do you make of this PlayStation Resident Evil project? Let us know down in the comments below.
