Resident Evil (Film Series)

Resident Evil (film series)

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Resident Evil (film series)
The Resident Evil Collection cover
Directed by	Paul W. S. Anderson(1,4,5) Alexander Witt (2) Russell Mulcahy (3)
Produced by	Paul W. S. Anderson Jeremy Bolt Bernd Eichinger (1, 3, 4) Samuel Hadida (1,3,4) Don Carmody (2,4) Robert Kulzer (3,4)
Written by	Paul W. S. Anderson
Starring	Milla Jovovich
Music by	Marco Beltrami (1) Marilyn Manson (1) Jeff Danna (2) Charlie Clouser (3) tomandandy (4,5)
Cinematography	David Johnson (1,3) Derek Rogers (2) Christian Sebaldt (2) Glen MacPherson (4,5)
Editing by	Alexander Berner (1) Eddie Hamilton (2) Niven Howie (3,4,5)
Distributed by	Screen Gems
Release date(s)	2002-2012
Country	United States United Kingdom Germany Australia Canada France
Language	English
Budget	$183 million
Box office	$675,775,409

Resident Evil is a science fiction horror film series loosely based upon the Capcom video games of the same name. Constantin Filmbought rights to the first film in January 1997 with Alan B. McElroy and George A. Romero as potential writers. In 2001, Sony acquired distribution rights to the film and hired Paul W. S. Anderson as writer and director for Resident Evil (2002). He continued on as writer and producer for Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), and returned as director for a fourth installment, Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) and the fifth film Resident Evil: Retribution, released on September 2012 in 3D.The Umbrella Corporation acts as the main antagonist in the series, a bioengineering pharmaceutical company responsible for thezombie apocalypse as a result of creating the T-virus. The films follow franchise protagonist Alice, a completely original character created for the films portrayed by Milla Jovovich, who was once a security operative working for Umbrella and is now the ultimate enemy of the corporation. Through her battle with Umbrella, she eventually meets with the main antagonist, Chairman Albert Wesker(Shawn Roberts). A number of video game characters also make an appearance in the films, including Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory),Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr), Claire Redfield (Ali Larter), Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), Leon S. Kennedy (Johann Urb) and Ada Wong (Li Bingbing).Despite a mixed reaction from film critics, the films have become the most successful film series to be based on video games,^[1] and the franchise has collectively brought in US$675 million worldwide on a $183 million budget.

DevelopmentIn January 1997, Constantin Film acquired the rights to the Resident Evil franchise with Alan B. McElroy writing the script.^[2] By 2001,Columbia TriStar was in final negotiations to acquire North American distribution rights to Resident Evil and budgeted the movie at $40 million.^[3]George A. Romero was hired by Sony and Capcom to direct and write Resident Evil. However, his script was later disapproved and he was ultimately dropped from the movie.^[4] Capcom producer Yoshiki Okamoto explained to the editors of Electronic Gaming Monthlythat "Romero's script wasn't good, so Romero was fired".^[5]Hired by Sony, Paul W. S. Anderson wrote a screenplay, which was ultimately favored over Romero's.^[6] In late 2000, Anderson was announced as director and writer, and Resident Evil re-entered pre-production stages.^[6] Anderson stated the film would not include any tie-ins with the video game series as "under-performing movie tie-ins are too common and Resident Evil, of all games, deserved a good celluloid representation".^[7] Milla Jovovich was cast as protagonist Alice in 2001,^[8] a character she plays for a further four films.
A second film began production in 2003 after the first was a success.^[9] Anderson was confirmed to write the script but not confirmed to return as a director, due to him working on Alien vs. Predator. As with the previous installment, Constantin provided financing for the film.^[9]In November 2005, Screen Gems gained the rights for the third film in the franchise, which was then named Resident Evil: Afterlife.^[10]It was announced Anderson would again return as a writer. Filming took place in Mexico and the movie was released September 21, 2007 as Resident Evil: Extinction.^[11]Before the third installment had been released, Constantin prepared to release a fourth film in the franchise.^[12] Originally set in Japan, the film was soon confirmed to be released to theatres late 2010.^[13] Resident Evil: Afterlife was filmed in 3D with the Fusion Camera System developed by James Cameron and Vince Pace for their 2009 film Avatar.^[14] The film had a $60 million budget, the biggest budget in the Resident Evil franchise.^[15]A fifth film in the franchise was confirmed, entitled Resident Evil: Retribution, and is scheduled for release on September 14, 2012.^[16] Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario from mid-October to December 23, 2011,^[16] marking the third time the franchise has filmed in Toronto. Paul W. S. Anderson returned as writer and director, Glen McPherson serves as director of photography and Kevin Phipps as production designer.^[16]Jovovich was confirmed, as well as Guillory, who will be reprising her role as Jill Valentine.^[17] Boris Kodjoe returned as Luther.^[18] Colin Salmon who played One and Michelle Rodriguez who played Rain Ocampo in the first film returned.^[19][20] Oded Fehr who portrayed Carlos Olivera in the second and third film returned for the film. Johann Urb is cast asLeon S. Kennedy and Kevin Durand is confirmed to appear in the film as Barry Burton.^[21][22][23] The character Ada Wong will be played by Li Bingbing.^[24]Anderson film series
Main article: Resident Evil (film)
The Umbrella Corporation operates a top-secret genetic research facility named The Hive. Located beneath Raccoon City, The Hive has been sealed by The Red Queen (the AI that controls the Hive) due to possible viral infection by the T-Virus. The T-Virus kills every living thing in the facility, then reanimates them, transforming the humans into ravenouszombies and the animals into highly aggressive mutants.
Alice (Milla Jovovich) was once a security operative working for the Corporation until her memory was wiped by the Red Queen's nerve gas. She is led underground, along with prisoner Matt Addison (Eric Mabius), into The Hive by a team of Umbrella Corporation commandos, including Rain Ocampo (Michelle Rodriguez). While the team is searching for survivors, they turn the power off, unknowingly releasing the re-animated corpses of Umbrella's workers. When confronting the Red Queen, Alice discovers that the T-Virus spreads through a bite or scratch and that severe trauma to the head will permanently shut down the attacker.
As the team attempts to escape The Hive, an Umbrella test subject called the Licker escapes and pursues the team. When they reach the train that leads them to the exit, the Licker attacks and scratches Matt before Alice can kill it. When they reach the surface, Matt is taken away by Umbrella workers and he eventually transforms into Nemesis. In the conclusion, Alice wakes from a coma to a ravaged Raccoon City after a T-Virus outbreak.
Alice is portrayed by actress Milla Jovovich.
Main article: Resident Evil: Apocalypse
The viral outbreak reaches the surface and in an effort to contain the infection, Major Timothy Cain seals all exits to and from Raccoon City. Among the people trapped in the city are Jill Valentine and her partner Peyton Wells. After Alice awakens from her coma, she rescues Jill and Peyton from a group of Lickers who escaped The Hive. They are then contacted by Dr. Charles Ashford who claims to know of an evacuation point in the city in exchange for the rescue of his daughter Angela Ashford, who is trapped in Raccoon City Junior High School. The group also learns Umbrella plans to incinerate Raccoon City to get rid of the T-Virus.
On their way to rescue Angela, Nemesis attacks the team after it is commanded by Cain to kill all STARS members. After Angela's rescue, they then make their way to the evacuation helicopter with Carlos Olivera, who has been dropped into Raccoon City and abandoned by Umbrella. After Alice's confrontation with Cain and Nemesis, which leaves the latter two dead, the team flies away from Raccoon City as it is being sanitized by a nuclear bomb. The helicopter, however, crashes in the Arklay Mountains.
A wounded Alice is taken to the Detroit Umbrella research station where she is healed and experimented on by Dr. Sam Isaacs. When she awakens, she escapes the facility and displays extraordinary powers, she is then driven away by Jill and Carlos who are disguised as Umbrella employees. As they drive away, the Umbrella logo flashes in Alice's eyes and Isaacs's computer states "Project Alice Activated".
Main article: Resident Evil: Extinction
The world has been consumed by the T-Virus and Umbrella develops clones of Alice in hopes of finding one who displays Alice's powers. Elsewhere, Claire Redfield leads a convoy of survivors across the Nevada desert, including Raccoon City survivors Carlos Olivera and L.J. Wayne along with K-Mart, Nurse Betty, and Mikey. A secluded Alice roams the country for survivors. After failing to find any living people, she comes into contact with Claire's convoy after she rescues them from mutated crows using her super-human abilities.
The convoy, along with Alice, heads to Las Vegas to gather supplies so they can reach Alaska in an effort to get to a place called Arcadia, thought to be a safe haven and free of the T-Virus. Whilst there, they are attacked by super zombies who kill most of the convoy. After L.J. is bitten and hides his infection from the rest of the group, he transforms and bites Carlos. Isaacs himself is bitten and in an effort to cure himself, injects himself with large doses of the Anti-Virus which causes him to transform into a Tyrant. Claire and K-Mart leave for Alaska in an Umbrella chopper, whilst Carlos sacrifices himself in an explosion to aid their escape. Alice confronts Isaac, in Tyrant form, in the underground Umbrella station where she is aided by a clone of herself. After his defeat, Alice looks on with the clone into a room full of pods as thousands of Alice clones awaken.
Main article: Resident Evil: Afterlife
After the events of Extinction, Alice and the clones attack the Tokyo Umbrella station. Wesker escapes and destroys the facility, killing the clones. Wesker is confronted by the original Alice aboard his escaping helicopter. He injects Alice with a serum that removes her super-human abilities. The helicopter crashes, and only Alice is seen emerging from the rubble.
After months of a failed aerial search for other survivors, Alice heads toward the supposed location of Arcadia. She lands on an abandoned airfield in Alaska, where she finds Claire in an animalistic state. Claire has an Umbrella device attached to her chest and her memory has been wiped; she begins to recover after Alice removes the device. Claire and Alice fly to Los Angeles where they stumble upon a prison surrounded by zombies. Among the survivors in the prison is Luther West and Chris Redfield, Claire's brother. The survivors explain that "Arcadia" is a tanker off the coast which has been broadcasting a looped message and is picking up survivors. During an attempted escape, Alice, Claire and Chris are the only ones to emerge and they reach the tanker only to find it abandoned. Claire's memory begins to return when she remembers Umbrella workers attacking her group of survivors and removing them to the tanker. The ship is really an Umbrella research facility which is conducting experiments on the survivors. Among the prisoners is K-Mart. The three then meet Wesker, who has been granted super-human abilities due to the T-Virus in his system. After a victorious battle, Alice transmits a message to survivors calling them to the tanker and hopes to create a new haven.
In the conclusion, Luther emerges from a sewer drain alive. A fleet of Umbrella Corporation aircraft led by Jill Valentine, thought to be missing since the events of Resident Evil: Apocalypse, prepares to lead an assault on the survivors.
Main article: Resident Evil: Retribution
Alice awakens in an Umbrella base, having been captured at the Arcadia. Jill interrogates Alice, who unsuccessfully pleads with her to remember her true identity. During an unexpected power failure, Alice escapes from her cell and encounters Ada Wong, an associate of Albert Wesker. Ada explains that she and Wesker no longer work for Umbrella. Wesker plans to aid Alice's escape and battle the base's supercomputer Red Queen, in order to save what's left of mankind. Ada also reveals that the base is underwater and serves as a testing ground for experiments. Additionally, Wesker has organized a team of freelance operatives to infiltrate the base and help Alice and Ada escape, including Leon S. Kennedy, Barry Burton, and Luther West.
Along the way, Alice finds a clone of a young girl named Becky, who believes Alice is her mother. They also face clone versions of Carlos Olivera, One, and Rain Ocampo, who are all under the direction of Jill. After Alice meets up with the rescue team, Jill's soldiers catch up to them, causing a shootout that has Barry, Carlos, and One. Alice, Luther, Leon, and Becky reach the surface; however, they are met by a submarine, from which Jill, the clone Rain, and a captured Ada emerge. With new orders from the Red Queen to kill Alice, Jill battles Alice while a now "enhanced" Rain, fights Leon and Luther, with Luther being killed in the process. Alice manages to remove and destroy the scarab device from Jill, returning her back to normal. Alice joins Leon in defeating Rain. Alice, Ada, Becky, Leon, and Jill (who is no longer being controlled by the Red Queen) travel to Wesker's base: the heavily barricaded and guarded White House. Wesker injects her with the T-virus, returning her former superhuman powers in order to enact his plan, then tells her that she is responsible for saving the remaining humans from extinction once and for all.^[25]
Anderson stated in an interview that their original plan was to produce Retribution and a sixth installment back-to-back, but he later decided to focus on just the fifth film. In the same interview, Anderson stated that if Retribution does well financially, then a sixth film would be developed and it will be the finale of the series.^[26] Speaking with Variety, Rory Bruer, the distribution head of Sony, has confirmed that a sixth film would be made, with Milla Jovovich as the star.^[27]
Reception
Resident Evil opened domestically on March 15, 2002 to the #2 spot at the box office. The film grossed $17,707,106 from 2,528 theatres averaging $7,004 per theatre.^[28] By the end of its theatrical run, Resident Evil had made $40,119,709 domestically and $102,441,078 world-wide on a $33 million budget.^[29] Critically, the film suffered with a 34% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[30] There were positive reviews however with The Chicago Tribune declaring it "one of the few video game movies to truly re-create the gaming experience"^[31] and The Austin Chronicle calling it "an absolute wreck. But what an ambitiously mind-blowing wreck it is, bursting with dazzlingly sordid cinematography".^[32]
Resident Evil: Apocalypse debuted at #1 in its opening weekend (September 10–12, 2004) with $23,036,273.^[33] Averaging $7,014 at 3,284 theatres, the movie had an increased budget of $45 million and made $129,394,835 world-wide.^[34][35] Similar to the first installment, Apocalypse was not well received by critics. A BBC review noted, "A zombie movie as dead-eyed and soulless as its walking dead villains." ^[36] Not all reviews were negative, The Seattle Times marked it an improvement from the original, saying the film "makes up for the wretched mess that was 2002's "Resident Evil"".^[37]
The third film, Resident Evil: Extinction followed the success of the second film opening at #1 during September 21–23, 2007.^[38] The film became the second highest grossing movie in the franchise with $147,717,833 world-wide, $97,069,154 of it coming from international territories.^[39] As with the first two installments, Extinction was negatively received by critics with a 22% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[40] Empire deemed it "Better than the silly second instalment and boasting an effectively creepy empty world setting, it’s nevertheless scuppered by a lack of coherence."^[41] The Hollywood Reporter also gave a positive review of the film, "Fast-paced and filled with brisk action sequences -- the film should reasonably satisfy the devotees."^[42]
Resident Evil: Afterlife opened in theatres September 10, 2010 to $26.7 million, setting a franchise record for highest domestic opening weekend and becoming the eighth highest September opening of all time.^[43] Afterlife scored the least-attended debut of the series and its large opening weekend tally was due to the higher ticket prices for 3D.^[44] Overseas, the fourth installment grossed $42.7 million from 3,971 screens in 34 markets, earning another franchise record.^[45] In total, the film earned $73.2 million worldwide in its opening weekend and stayed at the top of the international box office for four consecutive weeks.^[46] Resident Evil: Afterlife made $296,221,663 at the end of its theatrical run.^[47] Critically, the film was on par with its predecessors. On Rotten Tomatoes, 24% of 87 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 4.1 out of 10.^[48] Michael Ordoña ofThe Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, claiming that "the action is easier to read than in most films of the genre, and therefore more enjoyable. Anderson makes particular use of sets and locations to wring out more bang for the stereoscopic buck."^[49] Kim Newman of Empire Magazine was less enthusiastic about the movie giving Afterlifetwo stars out of a possible five, stating "What fun there is to be had is undermined by drab 3D, hacked-out dialogue and rehashed plots."^[50]
Resident Evil: Retribution opened in 3,012 theaters on September 14, 2012 to a weekend gross of $21,052,227, the second lowest opening in the franchise after the first film. However, it had already grossed $50,000,000 worldwide in the Far East and Russia. It is still keeping the #1 spot at the box office against the 3D re-release of Finding Nemo and has so far grossed double its $65,000,000 budget.^[51] Like the other installments in the franchise, it has received mostly negative reviews from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 27% "rotten" rating and Metacritic giving it a similar score of 39, while IGN gave it a more favorable rating of 6.0.^[52]
The series holds the record for the "Most Live-Action Film Adaptations of a Videogame" in the 2012 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, which also described it as "the most successful movie series to be based on a videogame."^[1]Resident Evil (2002)

[edit]Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

[edit]Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

[edit]Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

[edit]Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

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