If we’re being honest, the rumors are too good to be true. Netflix has delivered many great series in its Netflix Original lineup. However, let’s jump down into the shallow rabbit hole on this one, shall we?

I don’t want to be the downer of the group, but I’m not holding out hope for this series to happen.

The Rumor Mill

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The first mutterings of a Netflix adaptation of Resident Evil arose in January of 2019. Deadline posted an article claiming to have gotten word on an interesting scoop: Constantin Films, the studio behind the (in)famous movies, will be spearheading a new, Netflix-based series.

The decision isn’t entirely crazy. Fans of the original games have clambered for a more faithful adaptation for more than a decade, and this is the one chance we have for that.

There’s only one problem: we have no one but Deadline’s word on it.

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Fan-made poster

All Flash, No Bang

I’ll admit to not knowing how reliable Deadline is. For all I know, they’re a trusted source of television news. But let’s break down the article.

In it, the writer starts by simply saying that they have “learned that Netflix is developing a scripted series” adapting from the “hit action-horror franchise”.

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I don’t care about her classification, because honestly, even in the old days, Resident Evil was considered actiony. That’s perfectly accurate a description. The worry I have is everything else.

Aside from her saying she has heard the word on the block, there are no sources provided.

That’s okay, however, because I did the legwork myself.

A Fine-Toothed Comb

A Google search pretty much reveals anything on the reliable part of the internet. Sure, it can reveal both truth and lies, but it at least is all of the mainstream sources out there, at your fingertips.

With that in mind, I buckled down to figure this mess out. Clearly, someone somewhere must have heard this rumor as well.

Initial results are promising. Aside from Deadline, a number of websites report a similar thing, including sources like Polygon. One would deduce from this that the claim had some merit.

When you look under the hood, however, there’s nothing so grand. All other sources, including the most credible ones, cite Deadline as the initial break on the story.

This means that, on the entirety of the internet, only one person has heard firsthand that there’s going to be such a series. The likelihood of that is pretty minuscule.

Radio Silence

Not only is this the only basis for this rumor, but there are also other nails along the coffin lid.

One strong one is that, since this story popped up in January, there has been no confirmation, progress, or news to speak of.

The original article states that the creators were shopping around for a showrunner. If that’s the case, then how haven’t we heard of their search? I doubt a blockbuster franchise (both in games and movies) has a dearth of directors wanting to contribute.

There have been no suspicious casting calls, no rights negotiations, not a single whisper of any kind of activity behind the scenes.

Cinema has proven again and again that it can’t keep even it’s most important secrets locked tight. So why would this be any different?

A Twinkle In Your Eye

To be fair, this idea doesn’t necessarily come from nothing.

Once upon a time, circa 2014, there was a demo made for a series named Arklay. This series was an interesting take on the mythology, bringing everything down to a much more civilian level.

The series was going to revolve around one Detective James Reinhardt, of the RPD. He finds himself on the trail of a series of heinous murders but stumbles upon something far worse.

This approach reminds me of Gotham. Seeing the Raccoon City Incident from day 1 would have been an enjoyable experience.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

https://www.facebook.com/biohazardcast/videos/1058084517720878/

Only a demo ever saw the light of day. Even then, every part of it that pointed towards its franchise of origin was scrubbed from it, making it nothing but a hollow pilot of a series never to be.

Wish Upon a Star

Listen, it’s not like I enjoy this reality check. When I first heard the murmurs, I was just as elated as everyone else. I even feel for the now-infamous faux poster.

I want this just as much as anyone else. Hell, as a writer, I’d love to be a part of it.

But the ugly truth is that there’s really nothing to suggest that this thing is happening. Hell, the movies aren’t even on Netflix.

Maybe I’ll be wrong someday. Perhaps the project is sitting in development hell right now, but help is on the way. I’m not perfect.

For now, however, I think I’ll just keep my hopes high for some Resi news at TGS.