For a long time it looked like the Resident Evil reboot was going to be simply, well, Resident Evil . But nothing could be further from the truth: director Johannes Roberts has unveiled the official title.
During an interview during the online event of SXSW, Roberts announced that the reboot is officially entitled Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City . So we really go back to where it all started.
The director also dropped some other interesting tidbits about the film, which should hit theaters in September. For example, the story of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is based on the first two games and the film contains characters from both titles.
Just like in the very first game for the PlayStation, Welcome to Raccoon City is set in 1998, and the film shows how Raccoon City is overrun by zombies. Both the Spencer Mansion and the Raccoon City Police Department will be featured in the movie.
Atmosphere plays a key role
During an interview with IGN, Roberts also stated what he mainly focuses on in the film:
“What I especially like about the games is that they are just really scary. I wanted to convey that to the movies. The atmosphere, rain, darkness; it’s all very creepy. Raccoon City is a rotten character in the games and that was what I wanted. I transfer it to the movie. “
To create that atmosphere, Roberts looked for inspiration mainly to films by horror star John Carpenter:
“I am a huge fan of John Carpenter and have used him as inspiration. The way he creates a claustrophobic atmosphere in films like Assault on Precinct 13 and The Fog, in which groups of characters are attacked, were a great inspiration for our film. “
