Director Paul W.S. Anderson’s (Resident Evil, Event Horizon) video game adaptation Monster Hunter recently began filming in South Africa and Namibia, with Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) in the leading role of monster-slayer Captain Natalie Artemis. Chatting with Slash Film, Anderson teased the movie’s monsters this week, which will be faithful to the games.

“Listen, I don’t need to create any new monsters. There’s such a vast array of amazing creatures over the years,” he told the site. “We’re leaning quite heavily on the favorite creatures from Monster Hunter World which is the latest game, but we’re also bringing in what I think are some of the fabulous monsters from some of the earlier games, and some of the imagery from the earlier games.”

As for the human characters, Anderson notes, “There’s The Handler and Admiral… Aiden… Aiden’s Handler.” And yes, the film will feature a Palico, an adorable kitty sidekick.

“We wanted Palico,” Anderson explained. “It’s very much a movie of the video game, but in Monster Hunter you get to create your own character when you go in there. You don’t get to play Lara Craft or Jill Valentine. You get to play your own creation, and there is definitely an element of that in there. Some of the leading characters will be fresh characters but that’s a reflection of what the video game is. It’s definitely a movie that is firmly and fully entrenched in the world of the video game, as you would expect with me having worked with Capcom for nine years on adapting it and bringing it to the screen.”

Tony Jaa (xXx: Return of Xander Cage), Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Meagan Good (Saw V, The Unborn), Diego Boneta (Summer Camp, Monster Party), Josh Helman (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy) also star in the adaptation.

“The movie will chart the story of a world behind our own, where dangerous and powerful monsters rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis and her loyal soldiers are transported from our world to the new world, the unflappable lieutenant receives the shock of her life. In her desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers, Artemis will team up with a mysterious man who has found a way to fight back.”

Producers are Constantin’s Robert Kulzer (Resident Evil) and Martin Moszkowicz, and Jeremy Bolt (Resident Evil) and Paul W.S. Anderson from Impact Pictures. Dennis Berardi, head of VFX for the film, also acts as producer.

Sony’s Screen Gems will release the film in the U.S.