As you might have guessed, growing up a little kid in the 80’s, I was a huge fan of horror. In particular, I had an affinity for the shambling undead who feasted upon the flesh of the living! During this decade, kids such as myself really only had seven or eight zombie films to choose from, and we had to walk uphill in the snow just in order to watch them!
However, this article isn’t to talk about the 1980’s and history of zombie movies, which you should check out EPISODE #9 of the HORROR TO CULTURE podcast if you want to dive a little deeper into that topic.
No, this article is to discuss the brand new, long awaited 2025 documentary George A. Romero’s Resident Evil, which is now available through VOD. Romero, of course, is the godfather of the zombie genre, with such timeless classics as Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, and many other notable films, not the least of which being Creepshow (1982); A collaboration with Stephen King.
Romero was a legendary filmmaker whose contributions to horror cinema can’t be denied. It might come as a surprise to some casual horror fans, that in the late 90’s, Romero was attached to write and direct a film adaptation of the mega-popular video game series, Resident Evil.
Allow me to state here, I’m a huge fan of the Resident Evil franchise, though wasn’t much of a gamer at the time of its initial release. It wasn’t until Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo GameCube in 2005 that I became absolutely hooked. It should be noted too that Dawn of the Dead is the horror film I’ve watched the most times, and Resident Evil 4 is the game I’ve played and beaten the most times. Needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to this documentary.
In the new doc, we go behind the scenes of the turbulent period between 1998 – 2000, when, after directing a commercial for the game, Romero was attached to write and direct the first entry in the Resident Evil film franchise.
At first glance, horror fans were extremely enthusiastic, and Romero was optimistic and excited about, again, pushing the boundaries of the zombie genre for a new generation.
Unfortunately, despite several drafts of the script, staying as true to the games as possible, and years of rumor and speculation, George was unceremoniously “fired” from the project while still being held on a retainer.
“It’s too bloody and gory!” or “we can’t have exploding heads!” being the reasoning for going in another direction. Ignoring the intense gore and violence from the video games, Capcom (the producers of the game) and Constatin Films (the producers of the movie), wanted to go for a more all ages direction with the property moving forward, to reach a wider audience.
Romero’s script was put on the back burner, and filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson was brought in, having written and directed such successful video game adaptations as Mortal Kombat (1995), as well as the cult-classic films Event Horizon (1997), and Soldier (1998). His version of Resident Evil first hit screens in 2002, and despite mixed reviews, was a success that launched a long running film franchise that’s still being adapted today.
It’s understandable why Paul W.S. Anderson’s version was chosen, but the way in which Romero was dismissed from the project left a bitter taste in the mouths of horror fans, as well as Romero himself.
Romero went on to make the successful Land of the Dead in 2005, and other entries in that universe, but the idea of a “missed opportunity” seemed to haunt the filmmaker for the rest of his life.
George A. Romero’s Resident Evil celebrates the life of a renegade filmmaker (1940 - 2017), who unfortunately didn’t seem to realize the influence and impact he had during his own lifetime.
The new documentary is far from perfect, but pays a respectful and touching tribute to the legacy of Romero, and asks what might have been, had he been allowed to follow through on his vision for Resident Evil.
It shows the resiliency, in the face of several rejections, of a cinematic genius who loved making movies, connecting with fans, and making everyone feel like family.
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Michael A. Dyer is the host of the HORROR TO CULTURE podcast, vidcast, and website.
