Resident Evil: Reborn or Undead?

(to the left) Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' (click pic for trailer)

It came as much publicised news recently that a trailer for 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' had hit the internet, the fourth film in the seemingly never-ending action/horror series continues on directly where the third film 'Resident Evil: Extinction' (2007) left off, with mutated and hyperactive experiment Alice (Milla Jovovich) taking down the evil corporation Umbrella's headquarters.

Additionally the film (and something that the trailer makes readily apparent) is using the same camera system that James Cameron used for his $2 billion success 'Avatar' not only making it one of the true '3D' films released this year but also the first videogame adaptation to use the rapidly popular IMAX system.

But one has to wonder how long does the 'RE' series have left after all the videogame series which debuted in 1996 and had it's most successful release with 'Resident Evil 5' last year is even considering rebooting as well and starting the series from scratch.

It was in speculation last year prior to filming that instead of making a fourth film that a new trilogy would be started laughably titled 'Resident Evil Begins' and would basically be a retread of the first film which had commandos investigating an undercover lab used for viral weaponry before realizing that the dead walk.

The first film was in fact a loose adaptation of the first game, though the game was more based on survival horror and scares more akin to the films of George A. Romero (Land of the Dead, Survival of the Dead) who was at one point meant to direct the film and even had a working screenplay before the studio decided on Paul W.S Anderson's more 'Matrix'-style action-thriller.

Anderson himself returns to the director's chair for 'Afterlife' having taken time off and only producing and writing the second and third films, 'Apocalypse' and 'Extinction' in order to direct the failed 'Alien vs. Predator' (2004) and the maginally more successful 'Death Race' (2008).

'Afterlife' again stars Anderson's wife Jovovich along with the returning Ali Larter (playing game character Claire Redfield) and newcomers Shawn Roberts and Wentworth Miller in roles also based on their videogame counterparts.

Worldwide Box-Office of RE films
1. Resident Evil (2002): $103 million on a $35 million budget
2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004): $128 million on a $50 million budget
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007): $146 million on a $46 million budget

Amazingly none of the 'RE' films have earned as much as it's costing (roughly $150 million) for the upcoming 'Prince of Prince: The Sands of Time' (due May) itself also based on a videogame series.

Whether or not a reboot/sequel or new trilogy is in the works will depend largely on the box-office of 'Afterlife' come September but one has to wonder... if a corporation killed off 99% of the human population what would it have to gain?

Questions that certainly won't be answered anytime soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRJZiiarZQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=L2nZQZZtSkw&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_stronger_r2-2r-3-HM