Fans of the Resident Evil franchise know that Albert Wesker is one of the big bads of the video games. While he did appear in the films, the films were never well-received by fans of the franchise. So, Netflix’s live action take on the games is a chance to right the wrongs, and one way is to put the focus on Wesker this time around.
For actor Lance Reddick, while he’s never really played the games, he did binge-watch the movies a few years ago before being cast. Admittedly not a huge fan of horror, Reddick was drawn to Resident Evil because of how “exciting” and “challenging” it was to bring Wesker to life. “What’s so fascinating to me about this show, in addition to how exciting and challenging the role is for something that is so action driven, it has so many nuanced, and three-dimensional characters,” the actor explained. “You care just as much about the drama of the journey of the characters as you do about the action or the scares or the monsters.”
When it comes to Resident Evil, one of its biggest appeals is that it is for old fans and new fans alike. If you love the video games, there is plenty to take in – from the characters, to the production design and even some of the stories being told. It pulls heavily from its source material. However, it also takes the time to create something new that’ll help to entertain those not all that familiar with the games. While fans of the games have an idea of what to expect in terms of the t-virus and bioorganic weapons, for fans unfamiliar with the franchise, Reddick assures that he believes it is a good show for everyone – fan or not.
“I wanted to do the show because I wanted to tell the story seems like a good endorsement,” says Reddick. “I like to tell the kinds of stories that I would want to watch. I read the first seven episodes, and I was like, “I want to watch that show, and because I want to watch it, I want to be in it.”’
And for those that are fans of the games? Well, Reddick asks them to give the show a chance because there’s plenty in store for them. “The games are basically backstory for this and the thing that fans will understand, if they stick with it, once they get to the end of the season, is that the Wesker in the show …wait, I can’t tell you that.”
Resident Evil debuts on Netflix on Thursday, July 14th. Be sure to check out our review here!
