Resident Evil Games That Would Make Great Movies

Summary

• The new Resident Evil movie will adapt different games in the franchise, such as Resident Evil: Revelations and Resident Evil 3.
• Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil 4 are strong contenders for movie adaptations due to their innovative gameplay and iconic settings.
• Resident Evil 4, marked as the franchise’s peak, offers unique action-horror in rural Spain and introduces iconic characters like Leon Kennedy.

After long last, the Resident Evil franchise will be receiving a new movie adaptation that will take an entirely new game-accurate approach, hopefully introducing the series to a whole new audience in the renaissance of video game adaptations in movies. Luckily, Resident Evil is a long and storied franchise with plenty of games to choose from when choosing a story to adapt.

Whether it’s the original Spencer mansion and its Gothic horror, or the bombast of boulder-punching Chris Redfield, there’s a lot of potential for the upcoming Resident Evil movie.

8

Resident Evil: Revelations

Cruise Chaos

Resident Evil: Revelations came out at a tough time for the Resident Evil franchise when critical reception was dimming, and fans were becoming less and less interested. At the time, the future of the Resident Evil series itself was in question, particularly after the poor release of Resident Evil 6 later in 2012.

However, as much as Resident Evil: Revelations has a mixed reputation among the fans, the premise of a zombie pandemic aboard an abandoned ship is an incredible idea, and when the game is at its best, that premise hits hard. A new movie would find a lot of purchase in exploring that setting.

7

Resident Evil 3

The End of Raccoon City

Resident Evil 3 has always had a checkered history, both in its original and remake form, as a game that made a great leap forward in its iteration of the ever-chasing bad guy in Nemesis, but with a much more constrained scope and generally weaker story.

However, that more constrained focus might work great for a movie adaptation. Add a roster of scary monsters and Jill into the mix, a fan-favorite character, as well as the fearsome Nemesis as the antagonist, and Resident Evil 3 becomes a really compelling basis for the possible film adaptation.

6

Resident Evil 0

Before It Kicks Off

The much under-loved prequel game Resident Evil 0 deserves a critical reappraisal because of its genuinely innovative protagonist-switching system that would influence games as big as Grand Theft Auto 5 over a decade later. However, the game is also really important in the franchise’s lore, which sets up a lot of what is to come.

When it comes to a movie adaptation, it makes a lot of sense to jump in right when the T-virus outbreak begins, and the opening train setpiece of Resident Evil 0 is an all-timer location that would look incredible on the big screen. While the overall story of Resident Evil 0 is a little wonky at times, the basis is very strong, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of its key elements find their way into the 2026 film.

5

Resident Evil 5

Zombies International

After the incredible success of Resident Evil 4, expectations were sky-high for Capcom to release a worthy sequel to millions of new fans. Ever since its release, debate has raged over Resident Evil 5‘s quality, but despite some of its strange decisions, the choice to go to Africa as a setting is, as much as it was controversial, genuinely novel, moving the zombie aesthetic into a fresh setting with many fans hoping for a possible remake soon.

If the upcoming Resident Evil movie wants to do something different from all the other zombie movies that come out before, then Resident Evil 5 could prove to be a great basis for a contained zombie action film with the great buddy cop dynamic of Sheva and Chris to anchor all the bananas action.

4

Resident Evil 7

The Great Re-Think

After a string of commercial and critical flops, the outlook was dark for the Resident Evil franchise in the mid-2010s, so expectations were low for Resident Evil 7. However, the move to first-person and a renewed focus on horror over action revitalized the entire franchise with a menagerie of brilliant, intense moments of horror.

If the upcoming Resident Evil movie wants to be free of the mountains of RE lore and do something on a smaller scale, then Resident Evil 7‘s southern Gothic masterpiece is an excellent basis to work off, with one of the greatest antagonist families found in all of gaming.

3

Resident Evil 2

RPD Gets Ripped Apart

While the original Resident Evil 2 is a fan favorite in the franchise, introducing the ever-beloved Clare Redfield and Leon Kennedy as well as the indomitable Mr. X (one of the most powerful bosses in Resident Evil history), the remake of the game in 2019 introduced the original to a whole new audience and reinvigorated the cheesy horror of the original to be legitimately terrifying in a modern context.

Making the zombie scary again is no mean feat, but Resident Evil 2‘s preponderance on mood, atmosphere, and gritty gore pulled off the impossible. If the upcoming movie wants a great setting with brilliant characters, then look no further than the RPD and Leon Kennedy on the worst first day of any job.

2

Resident Evil 1

Where It All Began

The original Resident Evil game is the obvious choice for a new movie to adapt, and for good reason. The original Spencer Mansion is an iconic setting in video games that set the standard for the over 25-year-old franchise and introduced beloved characters like Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield.

More than that, the Spencer Mansion is a great limited setting for horror setpieces, with enough variety of zombies, monsters, and the series’ requisite underground laboratory hiding all sorts of grisly experiments. The most obvious adaptation route may indeed be the best one.

1

Resident Evil 4

The Best The Franchise Has To Offer

Though the original Resident Evil may be the most obvious choice for adaptation, Resident Evil 4, the critical apex of the entire series, might be the best option. Not only was Resident Evil 4 a taste-maker when it released, but its action-horror adventure through rural Spain is unique, visually distinct, full of memorable bosses, and a hell of a lot of cheesy fun.

Resident Evil 4 also marked when the core characters of the games became a key attractor of fans. It’s impossible to imagine Resident Evil 4 without the ever-stoic one-line dispensing Leon Kennedy, and every Resident Evil fan would be delighted to see gaming’s greatest secret agent on the big screen.