INTERVIEW: George A. Romero almost made a ‘Resident Evil’ film
Image courtesy of George A. Romero’s Resident Evil / Provided by Gold Dust PR with permission.
The new documentary George A. Romero’s Resident Evil is a what-if film that takes a look back at a major video game franchise that was trying to make the leap to the silver screen and a legendary horror director who was tapped to work on the adaptation. Spoiler alert: Romero, the late director behind Night of the Living Dead and its sequels, never got to make his version of Resident Evil, and the genre maestro moved on to other projects.
Now director Brandon Salisbury offers audience members a documentary film that celebrates Romero’s life, celebrates Resident Evil’s impact on gamers and considers what might have been if these two forces joined up. The filmmaker interviews creative team members who were around in the late-1990s and remember the marriage that almost worked between the ultimate zombie director and the ultimate zombie franchise.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Salisbury to learn more about the film, which is now available on digital and on demand. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did you research this hopeful adaptation project and get all of the details of what happened?
I was fortunate to know Robbie McGreggor, a member of the Resident Evil communities for over 20 years. He compiled a massive collection of articles and media regarding the making of the original 2002 Resident Evil film and its production history. I was also fortunate to have lived through the ’90s and was an active RE fan reacting to every piece of information on the film as it developed. We combined our resources, went back and found a lot of pieces previously thought to be lost, and then acquired permission to visit the George A. Romero Archives at the University of Pittsburgh where all his writings are stored.
Ultimately, why didn’t this cinematic project happen for Romero?
Ultimately, it comes down to competing visions. George Romero, after experiencing the video game and having discussions with Capcom, and having filmed a live action commercial for Capcom in 1997, was convinced that this should be a horror film that adapted the “extreme violence and gore” that the warnings on each RE game cautioned us. Constantin Film was concerned that Romero’s concept may not be marketable to audiences in 1999, and wanted something less violent and more mainstream.
Do you feel that Romero would have been a good fit for this video game adaptation?
That really depends on what you wanted out of the adaptation. It took certain liberties with characters and situations, but was fully committed to bringing iconic set pieces and the raw, visceral tone of the games to life. The characters, monsters and story were there, and George even kept the aspect of traps and secret passages the original game had throughout the mansion grounds and laboratory. Fans of the video game may have found disappointment in the adaptation, but, much like the 2006 adaptation of Silent Hill, could have been successful in its own right.
What do you feel this untold story can teach us in 2025?
The documentary serves as a testament to the legacy of George Romero, first and foremost. It shows that as successful as he was, as iconic as he was, George didn’t get every project he wanted made into a film, but you don’t give up, you just have to keep trying. It also speaks to how the intentions of two different entities (Romero and Constantin Film) wanted two vastly different things from the project. That doesn’t make either one the villain; each had their own competing visions for how they saw the final film, and they couldn’t work together. With newer video game adaptations such as Fallout, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us regarded so well with fans, the documentary shows an earlier era and the mentality behind video game movies during the 1990s and the stress on the producers’ and directors’ struggles to translate the game medium to the big screen.
What are some of your favorite Romero films that did get made?
Knightriders is my absolute favorite Romero film, which may come as a shock, considering I did a documentary covering Resident Evil and George’s horror career. Knightriders is an epic, mythical, counterculture film that was deeply personal. Among his horror films, my favorite is Day of the Dead, due to the dark, claustrophobic visuals and doomsday feel that echoes from the walls of the Wampum Underground that it was filmed within.
Who do you think will be the target audience for this documentary?
The documentary is constructed to discuss why George Romero is important, why Resident Evil is important and why George being involved with a video game movie was even a big deal to begin with. It serves as a historical document to the ’90s and that time period when video game movies were still a new type of film adaptation. But, it is ultimately a love letter to George Romero, the man that inspired me to pursue film as a career.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
George A. Romero’s Resident Evil, directed by Brandon Salisbury, is now available on digital and on demand. Click here for more information.
