Just when we thought the Resident Evil (or Biohazard) films had finished for the foreseeable future - we get 'Degeneration'.
But there's something different about this film, it has no connection to the Milla Jovovich hits, instead it is a CGI movie sequel to the game 'Resident Evil 4' and a prequel to the game 'Resident Evil 5'.
Capcom does say, however, that unlike SQUARE's 'FF7 Advent Children', this can be appreciated and enjoyed by audiences unfamiliar with the games.
"Capcom Japan’s representative director and president: Haruhiro Tsujimoto (Capcom) and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan representative director and president: Ken Munekata (SPEJ) have announced coproduction of Resident Evil: Degeneration, the first full-length CG animation feature based upon the Resident Evil series of games and movies. Currently in production, it’s got plans for a terrifying release in 2008.
Resident Evil (called Biohazard in Japan), began as a hit international video game franchise created by Capcom, then made its debut on the silver screen as the live-action film Resident Evil, distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Resident Evil is the first trilogy of live-action movies to have come from a video game franchise. Capcom and Sony Picture’s Japanese subsidiary SPEJ have teamed up to give birth to a CG-animated Resident Evil with groundbreaking visual effects and a brand-new story line.
The films “Resident Evil” and “Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse” have each grossed more than US$100 million at the Box Office internationally. “Resident Evil 3: Extinction” has been the biggest hit of the series in the U.S. to date, by grossing over US$48 million in just over three weeks, adding to the high performance and public support for this zombie-loving franchise.
'We envision this instalment to be enjoyed by the general movie going public as well as avid fans of not only the games, but the films so far as well. The CG technology is now so refined that it can now deliver just as much terror, suspense and emotion as live action and we believe that more and more CG features are the way of the future - no restraints in sets, look, style or movement - the films can be exactly the way the director or writer envisages them.'
It doesn't stop here either, with Hideo Kojima (creator of Zone Of The Enders and Metal Gear Solid) reportedly paying close attention to the project from across the video game spectrum at Konami and even Hasbro murmuring about an all new full CGI 'Transformers' feature utilising Generation one style character designs.
Whatever the future of the film animation industry, Ken Munekata of Sony Pictures Japan still believes actors, cinematographers and designers will still play a big part in a CG film revolution, 'there will still be need for those people in the industry, they have to convey to the animators what will look silly or what works well in any aspect of the virtual world to help sell realism and help the audience connect'."
Resident Evil: Degeneration Trailer Released - Shacknews - PC Games, PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Wii video game news, previews and downloads