‘Resident Evil’ TV Series In the Works At Netflix

With the latest chapter in the franchise set to hit consoles tomorrow with the highly recommended Resident Evil 2, fans were wondering what would be next for Capcom. Well, how about a television series?

A new report from Deadline reveals that Netflix has begun developing a scripted series based on the Resident Evil franchise, which will be the first time it’s been in action since its final big-screen effort, Resident Evil The Final Chapter, came out in 2016.

The series is set to be a “Netflix global original,” and will have German production and distribution company Constantin Film behind it. It had spoken in the past about “rebooting” the series, and it looks like bringing it to the on-demand service is the direction that it’s taking it.

Thus far, a showrunner for the Resident Evil series hasn’t been named, but the report indicates that a “search is underway.” No word yet if Paul W.S. Anderson, the director that was involved with the Evil movies, is being considered.

Based on the report, the plan for the series is reportedly set to expand the Resident Evil universe, in an effort to “deepen the existing mythology.” It’s unknown if that means involving certain characters that we’ve gotten used to, such as Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield; or introducing new ones into the fold.

The report goes on to say that the series will “explore the dark inner workings of the Umbrella Corporation and the new world order caused by the outbreak of the T-virus.” It’s also expected to include “signature elements” from the series, including “action sequences and ‘easter eggs,’ based on what Deadline says.

The film franchise has done well for Constantin and its distributor Screen Gems, generating $1.2 billion worldwide, even though some fans believe it strayed from the spirit that made the games work so well.

There is the possibility that Johannes Roberts could be behind the new project, since they were hired last month to write and direct a feature with an all-new cast. But it’s unknown if that’s related to the series or not, since the report is still somewhat early.

Keep in mind that Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed the series just yet, but Deadline’s report seems pretty solid. We’ll let you know once it’s all confirmed!

We’ll keep you informed as soon as we hear anything new. But what do you want to see from a Resident Evil series? Let me know on Twitter at @TheDCD!

And don’t forget to pick up Resident Evil 2 tomorrow for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC!

(Hat tip to Deadline for the details!)