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Original Resident Evil Movie Director Won’t Rule Out Franchise Return

Paul W.S. Anderson says he won’t rule out returning to the Resident Evil franchise eventually. The director, whose upcoming film Monster Hunter hits theaters Christmas day, helmed four out of six Resident Evil films, including the 2002 original. The long-running franchise grossed over $1 billion at the box office. Despite criticisms that the films didn’t follow the plot of the original video games, the franchise became quite a success.

Star Milla Jovovich, who is married to Anderson, says she wouldn’t rule out returning to the franchise, either. Jovovich played Alice in all six films, a character original to the movies. While the original film franchise ended in 2016, there are a few new adaptations in the works. Both a Netflix show centered around the Wesker kids and a new film adaptation are in development. The film adaptation will hew much more closely to the original video games, satisfying fans who felt the film series went strayed too far from the original blueprint.

Related: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Was ‘Always’ The Endgame

In an interview with Screen RantAnderson, like his wife, said there’s always a possibility he could return to the franchise. The director says that, after working on the franchise so long, he wants to pursue other things creatively. Anderson evokes the late Sean Connery, though, when he says that there’s always a chance for him to return.

SR: I’m a huge fan of your work from Resident Evil, and obviously Mortal Kombat too. I know there’s multiple Resident Evil projects in the works right now, with a movie and a television series. Are you interested in working with that franchise again, or is it still a little too close for you?

Paul WS Anderson: You know, I think after six movies and $1.3 billion and 15 years of hard work, I’m ready to put my creative efforts into something else – which I’ve done. But would I become involved in Resident Evil again? As the late great Sean Connery told us, “Never Say Never Again.”

Anderson has made a name for himself by adapting video game franchises. In addition to Resident Evil, the director has also worked on adaptations of Mortal Kombt, DOA: Dead or Alive, and his latest feature Monster Hunter. If the upcoming Resident Evil film adaptation is a success, Anderson could be given a chance to redeem himself. While his original RE films were never critical smashes, they were loved by a lot of fans. Still, they had their detractors.

Much of the criticism leveled against the franchise was because the films did not follow the beloved video games. The new film is set to rectify that and if Anderson were to return to direct a sequel to that film, he could put all the criticism to rest by truly adapting the video game. With Jovovich also open to returning, he could even bring in the original character of Alice for a true crossover event. Whether or not that happens is up in the air, but it’s clear the Resident Evil franchise isn’t going anywhere soon.

More: Everything We Know So Far About The Resident Evil Movie Reboot

Source: Screen Rant