With subsequent live-action adaptations meeting largely mixed reviews, the best move for the Resident Evil franchise is to bring back Milla Jovovich's Alice for a legacy sequel. Video game movies are one of the most critically reviled subgenres - often with good reason. Outside of the occasional gem like 1995's Mortal Kombat, it's a genre littered with mediocre to terrible output like Super Mario Bros, Max Payne or Uncharted. Very few spawn franchises of their own either, though Resident Evil is the rare exception.
The series began with 2002's Resident Evil, which originally framed itself as something of a prequel to the first game. It introduced Milla Jovovich as Alice, an original character to the series who would become the protagonist of the movies. Over time, the Resident Evil films became more and more distinct from the Capcom games, with the focus increasingly being on action setpieces. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter from 2017 marked the end of the Alice saga, with the six movies having collectively grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. Successful as they were, followers of the games were vocally displeased with the films.
This was thanks to the films' aforementioned lack of faithfulness, and while the sequels occasionally threw fans a bone with a certain character or monster appearing, it felt like window dressing. The Resident Evil franchise has since offered two live-action reboots. 2021's Netflix's Resident Evil series took a similar tack to the Alice saga by largely plotting its own course away from the games. While the show was a hit for the platform, even by the standard of other video game adaptations, it was greeted by largely bad reviews from critics and audiences. The next step for the franchise is unknown, though a Resident Evil legacy sequel with Alice is looking more favorable.
Would Milla Jovovich Return For Another Resident Evil Movie?
The Jovovich Resident Evil films were never critical darlings, but they always turned a healthy profit on modest budgets. It also helped that Jovovich was such a compelling performer, and helped carry even the weakest outings. In the years since the Alice Resident Evil series ended, she and director Paul W.S. Anderson tried another Capcom adaptation with Monster Hunter, which failed to recoup its budget. The duo is next set to work on George R.R. Martin's fantasy movie adaptation In the Lost Lands next, though the status of this project is unknown.
Anderson appeared burned out on Resident Evil by the time he helmed The Final Chapter and sounded ready to move on. While Jovovich also made peace with the series ending in 2017, she's also open to a possible return, stating in 2021 to Welcome To Raccoon City is unlikely to get a sequel and divisive as they might be, the Jovovich Resident Evils made money, and with such a long gap, the odds of a reboot are better than they've ever looked.
The franchise is coming off the back of two ill-received live-action outings, while a return by Jovovich for a Resident Evil legacy sequel would undoubtedly make money. The actor has said she's open to a return, and The Final Chapter established Alice's fight wasn't quite over. A sequel where she acts as a mentor to a younger character who could take the reins someday could work - and is one option producers are likely considering.
