Fans Of Resident Evil Petition HBO To Treat It Like The Last Of Us

HBO should produce a new live-action Resident Evil series in a similar vein as their The Last Of Us adaptation, according to fans of the video game series. The Resident Evil video games, also known as Biohazard in Japan, are part of Capcom’s venerable survival horror franchise. A feature film featuring Milla Jovovich as Alice, an entirely unique character created for the first movie, served as the property’s first live-action adaptation in 2002. Jovovich would return to lead an extra 5 sequels in a series that ran until 2016. Despite the series’ blatant departures from the original material and harsh criticism, the series continued until 2016. Recent additions to the franchise include the 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and a live-action Netflix series that takes place outside of either of the two film universes.

Fans of the Resident Evil series are now calling for HBO to try their hand at making a more faithful television adaptation on social media, despite the fact that Netflix’s attempt at a Resident Evil tv adaptation would ultimately fall far short of expectations. These phone calls follow the network’s wildly successful debut of its own The Last of Us television series. HBO is receiving high praise for the reverence with which its new show is treating its source material after receiving raving reviews from both fans and critics of the original game. In contrast, the Netflix series Resident Evil received negative reviews from viewers and was quickly canceled after its unimpressive season 1 premiere in 2022.

Why The Last Of Us Has Received Such A Positive Reaction

Video game adaptations have a long history of being a difficult nut for Hollywood studios & TV networks to crack. While many popular video games have been adapted for the big screen, sadly, many of these live-action versions fall short of the potential of their much more successful original works. Even massively popular franchises like Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed have had trouble translating their intricately detailed worlds to the big screen. The Last of Us, which HBO recently adapted, appears to be the exception to the rule, with episode 1 thrilling both new and devoted viewers.

Naturally, HBO’s The Last Of Us series has a few extra benefits that the majority of earlier video game adaptations lacked. The role of series writer & episode director Neil Druckmann, who really created the original game, is foremost among these. Druckmann’s involvement helps to ensure a much more faithful approach than what has typically been seen in the past, even though many video game adaptations, including Resident Evil, have frequently played fast and loose with the plotlines established in the source material. This, coupled with the cinematic storytelling style of the original game, has given fans a deeply satisfying viewing experience that is uncommon in other live-action adaptations.

Can HBO Create Their Own Resident Evil?

Is it possible for HBO to even try to adapt Resident Evil into another successful series when fans have lauded them for their approach to adapting The Last Of Us? The Resident Evil video games’ adaptation rights currently belong to Constantin Film, which first acquired them in 1997, before the series’ initial film adaptation. Although Netflix had initially intended for their own show to have more than one season, it is unclear whether Constantin is now in a position to potentially sell the asset to HBO in light of their decision to cancel the series. But now would be a great time to start making plans for a brand-new revival of the property, as the franchise is set to mark its 30th anniversary in three years. Fans can only hope that the next live-action Resident Evil will emulate HBO’s The Last Of Us if and when it comes out.