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Netflix’s Resident Evil live-action adaptation is cancelled. The news broke early on August 26, 2022, when Deadline reported that the streaming giant opted not to renew the show. The series, which is loosely based on the Resident Evil games, debuted on July 14, 2022. According to Deadline‘s report, the show did not perform to expectations. As viewing metrics versus production costs are Netflix’s main criteria when making renewal decisions, Resident Evil got the axe. It joins the live-action Cowboy Bebop and Jupiter’s Legacy series as another relatively high-profile adaptation killed after a single season.
Before it was cancelled, the Netflix Resident Evil series played out over two timelines: The first in South Africa, where the Umbrella Corporation had set up its new headquarters, and the second in the future, years after zombies had overrun civilization. It starred Lance Reddick (Zavala in Destiny, Charon in John Wick) as Albert Wesker, and his daughters Jade and Billie Wesker (played by Ella Balinska and Adeline Rudolph). Jade was the focus of the future timeline, struggling to survive amidst the ruins and looking for clues as to her sister’s whereabouts.
The series debuted on Netflix to lukewarm critical reception, but some praised its references to the dense lore of the Resident Evil games despite having little apparent connection to them at first. Showrunner Andrew Dabb claimed early on that the series is set “in the same world as the games” and in comments regarding the season one finale (which introduced Ada Wong), said that he planned to fold in familiar characters “judiciously and over time”. This is all, of course, now a moot point, considering Resident Evil is cancelled.
Resident Evil‘s first and only season is available to watch on Netflix. Resident Evil Village will receive a story-based expansion on October 28, 2022.
