Typically, releasing a reboot of a highly successful property five years after the last installment reeks of creative bankruptcy; however, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City appears an entirely different beast, at least compared to the six-film series steered by Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich.
Jovovich’s character has fans, evidenced by the last Resident Evil run combined to earn in excess of $1.2 billion at the box office (the highest-grossing video game adaptations ever). However, the purists hardly lauded the sci-fi horror films for their accuracy to the source material.
That’s about to change. Filmmaker Johannes Roberts’ Welcome to Racoon City says his reboot has gone back to basics to deliver a movie permeated by the lurching sense of dread and gore that characterized the early games.
The project was never going to be PG-13; however, it is not official that Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City has earned an R-rating from the MPAA. Bloody Disgusting has shared the MPAA says the film bears “strong violence and gore, and language throughout.” That is something fans really wanted to hear.
