The Milla Jovovich line of Resident Evil films concluded in 2017 with The Final Chapter - a sendoff to one of the most prolific guilty pleasure franchises around. Now, it's time for a new Resident Evil movie to take its place, and it seems the filmmakers are lifting content straight from the video game franchise, itself.
This is a sharp contrast to the first run of films, which were only loosely based on the games, and only got a few things right in the process. The recently released international trailer for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City shows tons of key details both great and small that directly reference the video game source material, and that means solid hope for fans who want the definitive adaptation.
10 The Trucker
Resident Evil 2 began with Claire Redfield, one of the best characters introduced after the original Resident Evil game, bumping into Leon Kennedy on the way to Raccoon City. At the same time, a parallel story arc was playing out involving a truck driver bitten by a zombie on the highway, who almost crashes into them after falling victim to infection.
The trailer for Welcome to Raccoon City references the truck driver, but with a slightly different turn. In this scene, he appears to have picked up a hitchhiking Claire before striking a zombified female with the truck. It's obvious what will probably happen next.
9 Classic Claire
This Resident Evil movie has made it quite clear that it intends to stick closer to the source material of the original video games, rather than the overly embellished original film franchise. That is shown early on in the trailer when Claire Redfield is shown on a motorcycle, sporting her classic outfit.
It's a slight departure from the games, but close enough that it bears mentioning. Her signature red leather jacket is the defining feature of her wardrobe, which in turn has made for some extremely accurate Claire Redfield fan cosplay designs.
8 The R.P.D.
In the second Resident Evil game, players were forced to flee into the Raccoon City Police Department building, where an entirely new host of horrors awaited them. It seems the film wants to establish this connection in a similar way, by immediately tying the first two games together.
What role the R.P.D. will play beyond just an establishing shot has yet to be revealed, but it's clear that the filmmakers are thinking ahead. Several shots in the trailer show what appears to be the lobby of the R.P.D., so it's possible that an entire act might actually take place within its walls.
7 The Ashford Twins
The film obviously intends to draw material from many different Resident Evil games, including the notorious Code Veronica, and that's an interesting development unto itself. The Ashford Twins were members of a prominent family with very close ties to the Umbrella Corporation, particularly its pharmaceutical branch.
How the Ashford Twins play into the script remains to be seen, but it's highly probable that the T-Veronica virus might get a feature nod. Fans of Code Veronica know full well just how important the Ashford family is to the story, and if it can weave properly into the narrative, it might make for a long-lasting film franchise.
6 The William Birkin Acknowledgment
William Birkin is a highly recognized character in Resident Evil 2, acting as one of the game's main antagonists. He was one of the viral researchers responsible for the creation of the G-Virus, which he injected into himself in order to mutate into a horrific, nearly unstoppable monster.
The fact that the trailer references Birkin at all is further proof that Resident Evil is going to adapt multiple game storylines into one film. Whether the T-Virus, the G-Virus, or a combination of both take center stage is still debatable, but the trailer does show what appears to be Birkin himself, in mutated form.
5 The O.G. Zombie
The first zombie players encounter in the original Resident Evil is the one that has gone on to become a pop culture icon. Players encounter this zombie inside one of the mansion's rooms, where it's feasting on a dead S.T.A.R.S. member. It then turns its head slowly and ominously towards the player, before getting up and attacking. It's one of the scariest moments in RE's history to date.
This is a nice nod to the first game, even if it has already been copied for the video game remake. The Milla Jovovich Resident Evil movies have made similar nods to this scene in the past, but nothing as direct and obvious as what's seen in Welcome to Raccoon City.
4 Chief Irons
One of Resident Evil 2's most notorious antagonists was the disreputable Brian Irons, Chief of police. This sadistic and opportunistic man turned out to be a serial killer with disturbing behavioral patterns, and he wasn't afraid to lash out violently against anyone he didn't like.
When Umbrella came to town, Irons went from a lackey to a liability in a relatively short space of time. It remains to be seen whether Irons' horrific past is brought up in Welcome to Raccoon City, or if the character is simply there as a grey area stand-in.
3 The Itchy And Tasty Show
The Lickers made their debut in Resident Evil 2 as one of the most fearsome and frightening of Umbrella's genetic experiments. Resembling a brain for a skull, and so named for its long, slithering tongue, Lickers were blind and relied on sound as their main hunting mechanism.
It seems as if they will play a role in Welcome to Raccoon City, perhaps in the first half of the film, to showcase the extent of the viral outbreak. One appears to stalk Claire in the R.P.D. building, which would be a direct nod to the Resident Evil 2 game.
2 The Lighter
It may seem inconsequential, but the shot of one of the best Resident Evil characters, Chris Redfield, with his Zippo lighter is highly iconic. Fans of the original Resident Evil video game know that Redfield starts out with different inventory items than Jill Valentine, for the purpose of offering two divergent storylines and play experiences.
Seeing Redfield flipping on his lighter to see in a dark area is an extremely subtle, but no less important nod to the original game. It's clear that the studio is pulling out all the stops to make it clear that they're sticking to the source material, no matter how obscure the reference might be.
1 The Mansion
The film establishes that Claire and Chris will eventually make their way to Umbrella's mansion facility in the Arklay Mountains, which is a nice nod to the original. However, it appears that the sequence of events between the first two Resident Evil games will be reversed, with the mansion shown in the latter half of the film.
Still, this is a major win for fans of the game who loved the haunted house-style storyline and atmosphere. It's quite possible that the heroes will find their way into Umbrella's underground labs, especially if William Birkin is a major part of the storyline.
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