It’s been almost two years since Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City hit theaters, and an even shorter amount of time since Netflix’s single season adaptation of Capcom’s legendary gaming franchise came and went. One wouldn’t be faulted for not expecting yet another attempt in the pipeline, but that’s apparently what might be happening in secret. As a new Resident Evil adventure might be prepping to wreck bioengineered havoc once more, the shadowy details seem to signal an exciting change for the franchise.
This news comes from a local news report from Sudbury, a town in Ontario, Canada that’s pretty connected to Sony’s horror movie franchise. Not only was this location used in making of writer/director Johannes Roberts’ entry into the ranks of Resident Evil movies, but it’s also apparently seen some money awarded for the production of the presumed new installment. I say "presumed" because the only details we have are that the production company behind Welcome to Raccoon City is in play with this new concept, which bears a very promising name: Umbrella Chronicles.
Die hard fans may have felt their ears and eyes perk up while reading that supposed title. I know I did, simply because if that moniker is to be taken at face value, this new Resident Evil project could be gearing up to tell a story from the eyes of one of its best illains. As Raccoon HG Film Productions is reported to be trying its hand at trying to make the T-Virus happen, the company might be focusing this new adventure through the red eyes of Albert Wesker.
The short short version of why I say this is because that’s exactly what the game Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles did when it hit the Wii in 2007. Wesker narrated his way through several incidents in the long history of the Umbrella Corporation’s dirty deeds, and you as the player blasted your way through a light-rail shooter that had just the right amount of story to work.
Played in the 2021 movie by The Umbrella Academy’s Tom Hooper, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’s ending saw Wesker revived by Ada Wong (Lily Gao) after presumably dying in action. Slipping on his trademark sunglasses, the not quite devious incarnation of Umbrella’s commanding ranks was back in the game.
It’s a good time to note that, as of the time of this writing, there aren’t any Resident Evil film or TV projects that seem to be publicly acknowledged as on the books. That’s not by accident, as even CinemaBlend’s review for Welcome to Raccoon City saw our own Eric Eisenberg noting that the finished product somehow made a zombie apocalypse boring. I totally agree with his evaluation, as several Nemesis-sized problems really upset me as a fan of the series.
Could there be a stealth Resident Evil sequel on its way? Maybe – we’ll just have to wait and see if Sony or Screen Gems respond to this report of movement. If it happens to be true, I’ll try not to get too excited, as I've been burned and bitten before by this saga. At the same time, Umbrella Chronicles just might be the strain that makes it all work.
For now, if you want to catch up with the Evils of recent past, you can stream Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City on Starz. Or, if you’re open to something new, a Netflix subscription will let you watch the single season of Resident Evil that exists, with the late Lance Reddick playing Albert Wesker.
