The latest installment of the enormously successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 5: Retribution, is even more ambitious then the previous feature films. The visual effects (VFX) created by Mr. X in Toronto are even more amazing this time around. In this one, crews went around the world to capture an even more terrifying Zombie Apocalypse. The major cities of the world are destroyed.
VFX artists, Sean Mills and Anna Joukova led the New York City photographic team which was charged with acquiring all of the footage necessary to create an exact replica of Times Square in the computer. They set about digital capturing every single building in the entire Times Square area from 48th Street down to 40th Street. The VFX team even covered all the side streets.
Invaluable in the thorough execution of the complex project was use of a 53′ scissor lift. Normally, in New York city, scissor lifts are just 35′. The huge crane was brought in from out of state to gain the extra height necessary for accurate coverage.
The American Movie Company provided production assistance to the Toronto Resident Evile 5 crew as well and additional VFX photography. AMC DP, Jason Krangel, shared the lift with Sean. So, each building was shot from street level all the way up. And Ann and Joe Jennings from AMC photographed all the side streets.
Speaking to New York Magazine, Milla said of RE5 film, quote:
“Resident Evil 4 was the first to open at No. 1 worldwide. It’s the biggest movie in the franchise. So we’re definitely going to make Resident Evil 5. We’ve been talking to a lot of fans on Twitter and stuff, so it’s probably going to be one of the first movies where we really talk to fans to see what they want, and what characters they want to see. It’s going to be a more interactive process.”
Here are some additional choice Tweets from Milla regarding RE5:
“Thank you all so much 4 all your grt comments on the film! I’m SO happy u all love it! Hve fun watching RE4 this weekend! Let’s do RE5 soon!”
“Well on my way 2 germany now! What a whirlwind press tour, but it was worth it cause RE4 rocks and its #1 worldwide! Biggest RE EVER!”
“@Turanlilar no, but we hve sum grt ideas 4 another RE! n i’ve been telling paul sum of the ideas from fans as well 4 another script!”
“well, thank you guys again for the incredible worldwide success of #RE4! i have to go get going and rehearse for tomorrow! u guys rock! -m”
Milla Jovovich recently starred in “3 Musketeers” (or “3M”) as Milady de Winter. 3M is released in stereoscopic 3D. Director Paul W.S. Anderson .
Now the fans are getting a little more service because the sequel is headed to Raccoon City, the setting for multiple games in the series. New set photos have popped up showing various service vehicles of Raccoon City such as a school bus and a garbage truck. There’s nothing I can say that will change the minds of people that love these movies, but we all know that it’s going to be terrible no matter how many elements from the games that they choose to bring in. Hit the jump to check out the set photos.
Resident Evil: Retribution opens September 14,
Films
Four live action films have been released under the title of Resident Evil. These films do not follow the games’ premise but do include game characters Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Nemesis, Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker, and were all written and produced by Paul W.S. Anderson. The series’ main protagonist is Alice, an original character created for these films. Despite a negative reaction from critics, the live action film series has made over $600 million worldwide.[13] They are, to date, the only video game adaptations to increase the amount of money made by each successive film.[14]
- Resident Evil (2002; dir. Paul W. S. Anderson)
- Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004; dir. Alexander Witt)
- Resident Evil: Extinction (2007; dir. Russell Mulcahy)
- Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010; dir. Paul W. S. Anderson)
- Resident Evil: Retribution (2012; dir. Paul W. S. Anderson)[15]
One CGI movie has been produced based on the video game series rather than the film franchise, starring Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Another is being produced.
- Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008; dir. Makoto Kamiya)
- Resident Evil: Damnation (2012)
In addition, there is a stand-alone short film.
- Biohazard 4D-Executer (2000): A stand alone 20 minute film.
Novels
The earliest Resident Evil novel was a novella titled Biohazard: The Beginning by Hiroyuki Ariga. It was published in 1997 as a portion of the book The True Story of Biohazard, which was given away as a pre-order bonus with the Saturn version of Biohazard. The story serves as a prelude to the events of the original Resident Evil, in which Chris investigates the disappearance of his missing friend, Billy Rabbitson.
S. D. Perry has written novelizations of the first five games, as well as two original novels taking place between games. Her seven titles are:
- The Umbrella Conspiracy, a novelization of the first game.
- Caliban Cove, an original novel set after the first game.
- ‘City of the Dead, a novelization of Resident Evil 2.
- Underworld, another original novel set after Resident Evil 2
- Nemesis, a novelization of the third installment of the franchise.
- Code: Veronica, a novelization of the homonymous game.
- Zero Hour, a novelization of the prequel game.
The novels often took liberties with the plot of the games by exploring events occurring outside and beyond the games. This often meant that the games would later contradict the novels by taking the story to a different direction.[16] One notable addition from the novels is the original character Trent, who often served as a mysterious behind-the-scenes string-puller who aided the main characters. Perry’s novels were translated and released in Japan with new cover arts by Wolfina.[17] Perry’s novels, particularly The Umbrella Conspiracy, also alluded to events in Biohazard: The Beginning, such as the disappearance of Billy Rabbitson and Brian Irons’ bid to run for Mayor.
There was also a trilogy of original Biohazard novels in Japan. Hokkai no Yōjū (北海の妖獣?, lit. “The Strange Beast of the North Sea”) was published in 1998 and was written by Kyū Asakura and the staff of Flagship. Two additional novels were published in 2002, To the Liberty by Suien Kimura and Rose Blank by Tadashi Aizawa. While no official English translation of these novels has been published yet, the last two books were translated into German and published in 2006.
Novelizations of the three films, titled Genesis, Apocalypse, and Extinction were written by Keith R. A. DeCandido. The Genesis novel was published over two years after the respective film while the Extinction novel was released in late July 2007, two months before the film’s release. There was also a Japanese novelization of the first film, unrelated to DeCandido’s version, written by Osamu Makino.He as also written a two part novel on the game ‘Resident Evil:The Umbrella Chronicles’.The novel has only been published in Japanese and German.
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