Skins Star Kaya Scodelario To Lead Resident Evil Movie Reboot

A new movie adaptation of the Resident Evil franchise has been announced, starring Skins actor Kaya Scodelario.

The globally-recognised brand already boasts a string of video games and films to its name, previously led on the big screen by Mila Jovovich as protagonist Alice. Now, thanks to Constantin Film, a brand new avenue of the survival-horror films has been set in motion. This time, it’s an origin story.

Former Skins star Kaya Scodelario will take over as heroine Claire Redfield. Casting Scodelario is a positive move, having made a name for herself in recent years with credits in The Maze Runner, a solid turn in housebound horror Crawl, and a role in 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

While some cinema goers will no doubt roll their eyes at the prospect of another origin story, writer-director Johannes Roberts (47 Metres Down) confirmed that they have devised a story that will remain faithful to the Capcom games from the 1990s.

The story will centre around one fateful night in Raccoon City circa 1998, and will feature a host of supporting faces that include Game of Thrones alumni Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Netflix’s The Stranger and Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) who will assume the role of Jill Valentine.

Tom Hopper (Game of Thrones, The Umbrella Academy) will play the villainous Albert Wesker, while Robbie Amell (The Flash, The X-Files, A Series of Unfortunate Events) will step into the shoes of Chris Redfield. Avan Jogia (Zombieand: Double Tap, The Stranger) will take on the role of Leon, while Band of Brothers legend and acting heavyweight Neal McDonough will play William Berkin.

With this movie, I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and re-create the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them, whilst at the same time telling a grounded human story about a small dying American town that feels both relatable and relevant to today’s audiences.

The film franchise’s producer Robert Kulzer said: ‘After a dozen games, six live-action movies and hundreds of pages of fan fiction, we felt compelled to return to the year 1998, to explore the secrets hidden in the walls of the Spenser Mansion and Raccoon City.’

Anyone familiar with the films will know what to expect, but also hope they can shine some fresh light onto the origins of The Umbrella Organisation.

Paul W.S. Anderson directed and wrote all six movie outings so far, grossing a collective $1.2 billion worldwide. And, despite receiving varied receptions over the years, fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that this entry could be the scariest, most definitive yet.