As the last chapter in Paul WS Anderson’s zombie action series edges closer to production, one of the sequel’s returning stars has opened up on the future of the franchise. Bearing the title Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, it certainly exerts a finality to proceedings, which hasn’t stopped the juggernaut series continuing after earlier sequels brandishing the equally dubious subtitles Afterlife, Extinction and Apocalypse. However, according to Ali Larter – who reprises her role as Claire Redfield – this actually is the last sequel.
“I know it is,” Larter told IGN when asked about The Final Chapter living up to its name. “We are not allowed to say one thing. I am held to secrecy, but what I can tell you is that the script is amazing. They’re really wrapping up the whole series, so that just makes it a little more poignant. To be able to come back and reprise my role as Claire and my relationship with Alice, with Umbrella Corp. — you know, I’m excited to get back in it. I think the fans are just going to be beyond excited.”
Larter first entered the franchise in Resident Evil: Extinction, continued in Resident Evil: Afterlife and cropped up in some archival footage for 2012’s Resident Evil: Retribution. For The Final Chapter, she’ll be joined by a host of other mainstays who populated the earlier entries in the series. Namely Milla Jovovich as perpetual ass-kicker Alice and Wentworth Miller as her brother, Chris Redfield.
Whether or not the last part of the saga aims to restore the quality lacking in later movies remains to be seen. Anderson has after all confirmed that it’s going to be shot in 3D, much to the chagrin of movie fans everywhere. However, he later countered that cinematic offence when he revealed that it plans to wrap up all dangling storylines once and for all, with a tone that’s touted to hark back to the first film.
As Larter goes on to affirm, this final stab is all about the fans:
“How many movies have this kind of fanbase and get to be made six times? I think that’s extraordinary. It’s a total testament to [series star] Milla [Jovovich] and Paul. I’m so grateful to them, that they chose me to be a part of it halfway through, and they’ve kept me along for the ride. I love that it’s not seven men and one woman. I mean, these are two women, and they’re not competing with each other. You know, there are such easy clichés these two could fall into, but this is definitely a female power movie.”
Shooting on Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is poised to begin this September in Cape Town, South Africa ahead of its scheduled release on September 2, 2016.