Directed by Johannes Roberts, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City will adapt the stories of the first and second Resident Evil games by Capcom and serve as a reboot of the Resident Evil film series. Welcome to Raccoon City will be the seventh live-action film overall, essentially acting as an origin story for the series' antagonist organization, Umbrella Corporation, and its involvement in the zombie outbreak. With the film around the corner, here is everything we know so far.
What Is Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City About?
On the official Sony Pictures site promoting the film, the synopsis reads: "Returning to the origins of the massively popular Resident Evil franchise, fan and filmmaker Johannes Roberts brings the games to life for a whole new generation of fans. In Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company’s exodus left the city a wasteland… with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night."
Which Characters Are In Welcome To Raccoon City - And Who Is in the Cast?
Casting for Welcome to Raccoon City was underway in early 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, it was announced that the cast would include Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, Lily Gao as Ada Wong, Donal Logue as Chief Brian Irons and Neal McDonough as William Birkin.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Will Return To Its Roots
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City's trailer features the "Welcome to Raccoon City" sign in all its glory. Located in Arklay County, Raccoon City was destroyed during the t-Virus outbreak in 1998. The t-Virus made its way into Raccoon City largely due to Dr. William Birkin allowing nearby Umbrella facilities to be contaminated, serving as the birthplace for the zombie outbreak.
Resident Evil's Most Iconic Characters and Monsters Will Return
As with all adaptations, audiences want the reboots to pay homage to the source material. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City seems to do its main cast of characters justice. The trailer spotlights Claire Redfield riding her motorcycle and donning her iconic red leather jacket, Chris Redfield sporting his signature facial hair and army gear and Leon S. Kennedy in his R.P.D uniform.
Aside from human characters, Lickers and Zombie Dogs will also be featured in Welcome to Raccoon City. In fact, the trailer opens with the Licker terrorizing Claire and Leon, so it can be assumed that Lickers will have a significant presence throughout the movie. Claire comes face-to-face with Zombie Dogs, which are just as terrifying as they were in the Resident Evil games. Not just that, but no Resident Evil movie would be complete without its zombies, looking like they were taken right out of the games.
Resident Evil's Infamous Villains Reappear in Welcome to Raccoon City
The Resident Evil games reveal William Birkin as a key player in Umbrella distributing the t-Virus across Raccoon City, and Welcome to Raccoon City seems to follow that same principle. He suffers a mutation after exposure to the virus, which the trailer hints at in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, with a monster that looks strikingly similar to the mutated version of William Birkin from the Resident Evil 2 video game.
Albert Wesker is perhaps the most recognizable antagonist of the Resident Evil franchise. While his role in Welcome to Raccoon City is kept under wraps, he will be featured, most likely as the final "boss fight" that Claire, Leon and Chris will face.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City will be released in U.S. theaters on Nov. 24 and UK theaters on Dec. 2.