To celebrate the release of Resident Evil, Netflix has unveiled a frightening new three-dimensional billboard that appears to jump out at anyone daring enough to walk by.
The streaming service released a short video of the billboard on social media a day prior to the show's official release. The billboard, which is located on the side of a building in New York City's Times Square, shows off one of the show's fearsome monsters, known as a Licker. The Licker appears to be unhappy about being trapped in the digital ad and can be seen trying to break the glass in order to get loose. Eventually, the frightening monster makes it "out" of the ad and appears to scale the wall of the building before lashing its tongue out at the passing crowd.
The ad is part of a large marketing campaign by Netflix to promote the show, which it describes as a blend of science-fiction and horror. Resident Evil is one of the company's most anticipated projects in recent years and is based off of the zombie-killing video game franchise of the same name, which has seen huge success since its first installment in 1996. The series as a whole "has sold over 100 million copies, and has expanded to a variety of other media, including CGI movies, theme park attractions, and even Hollywood blockbusters," according to game developer Capcom.
Netflix first announced that it would be helming a live-action reimagining of the franchise in 2019, with development being led by Andrew Dabb. Dabb is best known for holding a variety of roles on the long-running CW series Supernatural, including executive producer and story editor. The principal cast of Resident Evil was later unveiled in June 2021, with the show being headlined by Ella Balinska and Lance Reddick. Balinksa is best known for her starring role in the 2019 film Charlie's Angels, while Reddick is notable for his appearances in both the John Wick films and 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong.
Balinksa recently spoke with CBR about the show, describing her character Jade as "unapologetically herself." She added that Jade "really has her opinions and stands by them. She very much has to be proven wrong to change her outlook on something." In terms of the creatures in the show, Balinksa appears to enjoy the beast seen in the Times Square ad, saying, "My favorite was definitely the Lickers," and adding that she "loved having the imagination, and, suddenly, you realize the Licker is actually my friend Danny in a green suit."
Season 1 of Resident Evil is now available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Twitter