Summary
- George A. Romero's creative influence was integral to the inception of the Resident Evil games.
- Romero was initially approached to direct the Resident Evil movie adaptation, but his vision clashed with the studios.
- A documentary, George A. Romero's Resident Evil, delves into Romero's failed project and offers a glimpse at an unrealized dream.
George A. Romero's Resident Evil is one of the year's most unique video game movies. Resident Evil started in 1996, with the first game from Capcom spawning the survival horror genre. The game became a massive success for the original PlayStation console, which created a franchise that is still ongoing today with the release of the Resident Evil 4 remake in 2023, with another mainline installment likely in development.
The Resident Evil games were also the inspiration for a franchise of films starring Milla Jovovich, which started in 2002 and ended in 2017 with six films in total. The film leaned into an original story that took many elements from the games, which ultimately became the formula for each sequel. The following films would pepper in characters, creatures, and the occasional story beat pulled from the games, but much of the story was an original creation for the films. The reception was mixed at best, though the movie proved profitable enough to continue.
2021 saw the release of a reboot titled Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. The film adhered more closely to the lore of the games, including several characters and locations from the start. Yet the film was also a bit of a misfire, with another franchise reboot now on the way from Barbarian writer and director Zach Creggar. However, before a single film was ever released, there was a planned adaptation by the master of zombie horror, chronicled in the film George A. Romero's Resident Evil.
Resident Evil: 8 Most Relatable Characters
In a world full of zombies and mutants, these Resident Evil characters still manage to feel grounded and realistic.
George A. Romero Helped Inspire The Resident Evil Games
George A. Romero is considered the father of the zombie genre, having found success with the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. While he later branched out with films like Season of the Witch and Knightriders, zombie-fueled films were Romero's claim to fame. Dawn of the Dead, released in 1978, became one of the director's most well-known works, and he went on to make Day of the Dead (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007), and Survival of the Dead (2009).
Most filmmakers tackling the zombie genre draw inspiration from Romero's work, and the Resident Evil games were no different. Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara, the minds behind Resident Evil, included zombies in their games, wanting to capture the same sense of creeping horror that Romero was able to encapsulate on screen. They wanted to translate that feeling to players who were forced to be more active participants in the story, marking a uniquely terrifying experience. That's why, when the potential of a Resident Evil feature film became a real possibility, Romero's name was at the top of the list to direct the project.
The Creators Of Resident Evil Wanted Romero To Direct The Adaptation
-1.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=500&dpr=2)
Following the success of the first Resident Evil game, a sequel was quickly put into production. Capcom didn't hold back on marketing, pumping millions of dollars into it. Part of that was a big-budget trailer to help sell the game, for which they hired none other than George A. Romero. The trailer starred Brad Renfro as Leon Kennedy and Adrienne Frantz as Claire Redfield. Aside from the cutscenes in the first game, it was Resident Evil's first foray into live action, with Romero bringing deft skill to the game franchise he helped inspire. While working on the trailer, Romero was even overheard on the set of the commercial, remarking:
"I feel like I'm ripping myself off."
However, even with Romero seeing the ouroboros of inspiration, the creators of Resident Evil were also on the fast track to developing a movie based on the new IP, and they wanted the Night of the Living Dead director at the helm. Not only was a deal struck, but Romero also got much further along with the project than most might think. Romero penned a script for his planned adaptation of the game, and his Resident Evil screenplay is still online to read, featuring what many considered a more faithful adaptation than what fans ultimately got with the 2002 Paul W.S. Anderson film.
Romero's Resident Evil film eventually died for a number of reasons. The director envisioned his adaptation to be a subversive work of zombie fiction, much like what he had become known for. However, the studio wanted a more action-oriented film. They believed this approach was a better avenue for franchising the IP, with eyes already set toward being able to produce several movies. These conflicting views and a lack of communication between all involved in the development process saw Romero's adaptation end, with the studio moving on with Anderson's eventual pitch.
Where To Watch George A. Romero's Resident Evil
Brandon Salisbury directs George A. Romero's Resident Evil, and it takes a deep dive into the journey and eventual death of the lauded director's adaptation. The documentary features interviews with people who worked on Romero's Resident Evil 2 commercial and those who knew him best, shedding light on the director's career and personal philosophies. The documentary also features sections where excerpts from Romero's script are read aloud, giving viewers a true sense of the filmmaker's intentions for Resident Evil. Meanwhile, clips from the Resident Evil 2 commercial offer a sense of how the finished product may have looked.
George A. Romero's Resident Evil was released in January 2025. While it is unavailable to stream, the documentary is available to rent through several services, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Google Play, and YouTube. With the Resident Evil games still going strong and another movie on the way, George A. Romero's Resident Evil is a glimpse at an unrealized dream that many fans still wish had come to fruition. It's a sentimental look at the infancy of the IP and the unique path the films could have taken.
