Another Resident Evil movies something of an outlier.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter did what it promised and closed the book on the Jovovich era, but later live-action projects failed to find the same success. The 2021 film Welcome To Raccoon City and Netflix's Resident Evil series both received bad reviews, with the latter being swiftly canceled by the streamer. The live-action future of the property is currently unknown and it will need to win back viewers burned by its lackluster recent outings. It will likely be a few more years until it returns, though the next Resident Evil could pay reverence to its source material by hitting a specific release date.
The Next Resident Evil Movie Should Release In 2026 (For The 30th Anniversary)
The original Resident Evil game (AKA Biohazard) was released in Japan on March 26th, 1996, where it quickly became a word-of-mouth smash. Not only did it kick off a gaming saga that is still running, but it also popularized survival horror, which was a niche genre at the time. The game's North American release followed a few days later, and while publisher Capcom will no doubt celebrate the anniversary of the franchise in style, the next Resident Evil movie should also aim to hit theaters in March 2026 too. In addition to that, it could impress fans further by hewing them closer to the games.
The Resident Evil movies and games have always felt like two distinct entities. The original film from 2002 told an original story that largely ignored the video games, and by the final outing, the series barely resembled Capcom's property. The Netflix Resident Evil show was an even larger deviation despite being supposedly canon with the games. The next Resident Evil needs to bridge that gap, embracing the roots of the original titles while pleasing audiences familiar with the Jovovich films. That could be a tricky balancing act, but releasing on the 30th anniversary of the series would be a good mission statement.
What The Next Resident Evil Movie Could Be (Sequel Or Reboot?)
Of course, there's no obvious path forward for the Resident Evil film franchise. Welcome To Raccoon City appears to have turned a modest profit, but its lukewarm reception makes a direct sequel doubtful. The next film could be a semi-reboot that still follows on from WTRC, but even in that event, a clean slate sounds preferable. The Final Chapter left some wiggle room that the adventures of Milla Jovovich's Alice could continue, and the actor has stated she would consider a Resident Evil comeback. To producers at least, this could represent the most attractive option.
Divisive as the Alice Resident Evil saga is with fans of the games, they were undeniably profitable. A legacy sequel that included Jovovich that introduced new heroes is another path it could take. Series devotees would still love a Resident Evil that does a faithful job adapting one of the games, and the success of remake titles like Resident Evil 2 proved it was possible to make an old story terrifying again. A fresh start feels like the best option - but fans will have to wait and see what happens.
