Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, the first live-action movie based on theResident Evilvideo games in five years, releases in theaters soon. But one such monster never left the film’s cutting room floor. According to director Johannes Roberts, the trenchcoat-donning tyrant Mr. X, made famous by his reappearance inResident Evil 2: Remake, came just shy of appearing in the film.
The originalResident Evilmovie franchise starring Milla Jovovich lasted for six films, with their theatrical releases spread across fourteen years. Since then, the video games have continued to thrive, withResident Evil 7: Biohazard,Resident Evil 2: Remake,andResident Evil Villageserving as examples of the series' recent smash-hit success in the gaming medium. A franchise of CGI-animated films based onResident Evilalso continues to this day, with the Netflix-exclusive seriesResident Evil: Infinite Darknessbeing the most recent entry.
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Roberts, who is also notable for directingshark thriller47 Meters Downand its sequel, spoke to ComicBook Nation Podcast to reveal that Mr. X was almost a featured villain inWelcome to Raccoon City. He admitted that he couldn’t find a way to put the tyrant in the film, stating that he had a shot that could have nodded to Mr. X. Whether that nod would be an easter egg or something larger isn’t made clear, but the director ultimately chose not to use that shot, noting his responsibility to use shots that fit the film’s story rather than shots that he wanted.
In addition to director Roberts,Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon Cityfeatures many stars including Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Robert Amell as Chris Redfield, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, and Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker. Other cast members include Lily Gao, Donal Logue, and Neal McDonough. Many monsters will also appear in the film, including the iconic zombie dogs, William Birkin’s zombified form, and the dreaded Licker.
Mr. X may not be appearing inResident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City, but the film looks like it will be an exciting action-horror adventure regardless. It’s clear thatResident Evilfanswill have a lot to look forward to, and perhaps Mr. X could potentially appear in a sequel.
For now,Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon Cityhas stirred excitement among fans for being a faithful adaptation of Capcom’s legendary franchise. This includes using accurate costumes for beloved characters like Claire and Leon and the design of the monsters onscreen.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon Citycomes to theaters on November 24th, 2021.
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