Resident Evil Netflix Series to Enter Production in June

James Bowers February 3, 2020 5:09 PM EST

After a successful adaptation with The Witcher, Netflix is exploring the world of Resident Evil, the T-Virus, and Umbrella Corp.

The “Resident Evil” TV series was reported by Deadline last year as in development as a Netflix global original. Constantin Film, the German distribution and production company behind the film adaptation of the franchise, is the studio working on the show. The TV-series and pre-existing film franchise are not planned to be connected canonically, other than the basic narrative set-up which follows the questionable inner workings of the Umbrella Corporation.

Redanian Intelligence, a fan site that worked to uncover information on “The Witcher” series both before and after release, is reporting to have unearthed a production entry for the “Resident Evil” series which confirms some key details. The show is set to be eight episodes, with each being 60-minutes in length. This isn’t a surprise, that formula has quickly become Netflix’s standard season structure for its original shows. As well as confirming that shooting will begin in June, the entry also notes on-location prep work will begin in April, with the main hub of production being based in South Africa. If this information is accurate, this would be a new location for the live-action reimagining of “Resident Evil”, with the films being shot primarily in Canada and Mexico prior to this.

If re-shoots aren’t required, several months of post-production should see it debut at roughly the same time as “The Witcher” did, which was towards the back end of last year. Failing that very tight timescale, a spring 2021 release might be more likely.

Despite this being more information about when the series will be made, little is still known about how. Currently, no casting or directorial news has been officially confirmed. Deadline originally reported that the series will “incorporate all of Resident Evil’s signature elements, including action sequences and easter eggs.” If the studio wanted to cross-promote between universes, they’d only need to wait until Resident Evil 3 Remake hits on April 3, 2020, to get in front of the Resi audience.

Regardless of what you think about the cinematic outings of “Resident Evil”, the six-strong film franchise has made over $1.2 billion worldwide at the box office and holds the record for highest-grossing film series based on a video game. Not that it has much in the way of competition in that category.

Are you looking forward to seeing what Netflix can do with this popular franchise? Would you rather Resident Evil 4 get the remake treatment instead? Let us know in the comments below!