This new series is another variant take on the Resident Evil lore, which will be focusing on one of the franchise’s infamous villains, Albert Wesker and his immediate family. Given the mixed reactions toward the recent Resident Evil live-action film reboot, could the Netflix series be more promising? Check out the details of the teaser and what has been revealed so far for this new entry in the Resident Evil universe.
Social media teaser
The live-action Netflix Resident Evil Instagram account first posted the teaser. Although the video was replaced by stills, it has since been shared in other social media by Netflix and fans on Twitter, YouTube, and the like. The teaser is not particularly long, clocking only 10 seconds or so. It features a normal-looking dog walking towards the viewer. But as the dog gets closer and shifts its face, the lighting reveals the familiar disfigurements characterized by the B.O.W. (Bio-Organic Weapon) designated by the Umbrella Corporation as Cerberus.
Netflix’s Resident Evil - coming soon! pic.twitter.com/HLTh5YjfGP — What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) December 3, 2021 The Cerberus dogs have become a staple of the franchise, in both video games and other media. Since they first made their presence felt in the first Capcom Resident Evil game on the Playstation 1, the menacing and relentless mutated canines crashed into the windows and struck terror in the hearts of gamers everywhere. These four-legged abominations are as famously linked to the franchise as are the Lickers, Tyrants, and Zombies. Thus, having the Cerberus herald the upcoming live-action Netflix Original series is just appropriate.
Different story and different timelines
The Netflix series is separate from the Resident Evil live action film, as well as the animated Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. Back in June, the cast for the live action series coming to the streaming service was revealed, which includes Lance Reddick. The actor should be familiar to fans of the John Wick film series, as Reddick plays the distinguished and loyal concierge of The Continental named Charon. Reddick also played roles in TV shows like Fringe and The Wire, as well as voicing characters in video games such as Horizon Zero Dawn.
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021 Reddick will be playing a version of Resident Evil bad guy Albert Wesker. In addition to the veteran character actor, Netflix’s Resident Evil live action series cast includes Ella Balinska, Siena Agudong, Paola Nunez, Adeline Rudolph, and Tamara Smart. The cast seems to be female-centric, as it will center on new characters created specifically for the show. According to the upcoming Resident Evil series showrunner, Andrew Dabb (Supernatural): The series will reportedly be following the story of Billie and Jade Wesker, daughters of Dr. Albert Wesker, head of the research of Umbrella Corporation’s T-Virus project. The series will be 8 episodes of 1 hour each, which will follow two timelines. The first timeline will be the early days of the sisters living in Raccoon City. The second timeline will be 10 years into the future, with only 15 million people left alive and the rest of the population is composed of the mutations and monsters created by the T-Virus. Interestingly, the second timeline will be mainly centered on Jade Wesker. This implies something happens in the first timeline that leads to the sisters being separated, likely due to the outbreak that inevitably happens after the Raccoon City incident. No word yet on whether the show will be showing callbacks to the video game situations and the more famous characters associated with the Resident Evil franchise, such as the protagonists Chris and Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Leon Kennedy. Produced by Constantin Film, the Netflix Original live-action Resident Evil series is projected for a 2022 release.