The Resident Evil franchise has spawned seven live-action films, a few anime movies, and even an animated series on Netflix. What’s left to explore nearly three decades after the first Resident Evil video game debuted? That’s the question to be answered by Netflix’s upcoming Resident Evil live-action series. It’s completely unconnected to every adaptation that came before it, and it has a modernized explanation about how the world went to Hell.
In the first of two teasers released today, Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick) explains the benefits of the Umbrella Corporation’s wonder drug, Joy. Albert claims that Joy is “an antidepressant that cures OCD, lowers anxiety, and increases focus.” There’s just one major problem: Joy is made with the T-Virus, which turns humans into monstrous zombies. Not that Umbrella would ever let that get in the way of making a profit.
The second teaser trailer introduces Wesker’s daughter, Jade (Ella Balinska). Jade’s story unfolds across two time periods. In 2022, Jade and her sister, Billie, join their father at New Raccoon City, which looks like Umbrella’s take on an evil Google Campus. And in 2036, Jade finds herself all alone in London with the zombie apocalypse in full swing.
Here’s the official description of the series, courtesy of Netflix:
“Year 2036 – 14 years after Joy caused so much pain, Jade Wesker fights for survival in a world overrun by the bloodthirsty infected and mind-shattering creatures. In this absolute carnage, Jade is haunted by her past in New Raccoon City, by her father’s chilling connections to the sinister Umbrella Corporation, but mostly by what happened to her sister, Billie.”
Supernatural veteran Andrew Dabb is the showrunner for Resident Evil. The eight-episode first season will premiere on Netflix on July 14.
