The first trailer for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City has finally dropped, giving fans their best look at what's in store. There's a clear change from the previous movie, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, released in 2016, as the new film aims to reboot the franchise by starting at the beginning. With reveals of new characters, locations, timeframe and more, there's plenty to unpack all throughout the trailer.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City Returns to the Franchise’s Beginning
The trailer's opening shows the iconic "Welcome to Raccoon City" sign but also finally sets the timeframe. It's been previously announced that Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City would merge the stories of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 video games, but seeing as they both take place at different times, it was unclear when the film would be set. The trailer dates September 30, 1998, bringing it much closer to the beginning of Resident Evil 2, which opens on September 29, 1998, with the breakout in Raccoon City. And with shots of police defending against zombie hordes, it seems like we'll be seeing plenty of the original breakouts and chaos for ourselves.
Fan-Favorite Resident Evil Characters Return
It's clear the Redfield's will be the star of the show, opening with Claire Redfield riding into Raccoon City, donning her classic red jacket. The original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 games keep Claire and her brother Chris apart; however, this trailer heavily suggests they'll finally be teaming up to expose Umbrella. And while there's not much for fans looking for the iconic Claire and Leon S. Kennedy duo, it's briefly hinted at when Claire passes an RPD bulletproof vest to him and face down an infamous Licker monster.
Numerous other recognizable characters make an appearance throughout, with some harder to spot than others. Lisa Trevor makes a quick appearance wearing a fleshy face mask, who featured in Resident Evil as a horrific Umbrella Corporation experiment -- though it's unknown if she is friend or foe in the film. Resident Evil 2 character Ben Bertolucci also appears in a video asking Claire for help. Though a minor role, Bertolucci is an investigative journalist who Leon finds trapped in a cell, though in the trailer he appears as a catalyst for Claire returning to Raccoon City.
One of the more important familiar characters is Albert Wesker, captain of the S.T.A.R.S. police special forces team. At the start of Resident Evil, Wesker and his team are separated, and it's eventually revealed that he's working against them. In the trailer, Wesker splits off again, suggesting that he will betray the team like in the first game. Not only does Wesker work for Umbrella, but so does Dr. William Birkin, who makes a brief appearance in the trailer. In Resident Evil 2, Birkin is one of Umbrella Corporation's top scientists who had recently turned against them, and upon being injected with the G-Virus, becomes a rampaging mutant.
Welcome to Racoon City’s Trailer Teases Iconic Monsters
The Resident Evil games are certainly creative with their monsters, and the trailer teases a few that audiences can expect to see. Plenty of standard zombies are littered throughout, very much resembling the classic look RE video game players are used to. However, a few clips show the chief of police trapped in a car park with one of Resident Evil's scariest creatures: zombie dogs. These fast-moving zombies are prime for creating jump-scares, and it seems their traditional decaying-Doberman look has carried over.
And one of Resident Evil 2's scariest and most difficult enemies also makes an appearance. At the trailer's conclusion, Leon and Claire encounter a Licker, a fleshy quadruped with a long tongue that can be used as a weapon. And judging by their reaction, the Lickers will be just as formidable as in the games.
The Trailer Features Many Resident Evil Easter Eggs
For fans of the games, there's plenty of little references and nods in the trailer. In one clip, the words "Itchy, Tasty" are found written in blood on a window. This is a reference to an animal researcher's journal found in Resident Evil that describes the infected researcher descending into madness, with the final entry reading, "Itchy, Tasty." Another nod to Resident Evil is the first zombie the S.T.A.R.S. team encounters. In the trailer, a zombie feasts on a body and slowly turns around to reveal its gruesome face. The exact same setup, movement and shot are used for the first zombie encounter in the first game, giving a great reveal for what's to come.
Details like this should excite fans, as it's clear that great attention to detail has been made to resemble the games, and the hints of the story revealed so far seem to be faithful to the originals.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City will be released in theaters Nov. 24.