Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Development and Production

Development for a reboot of the Resident Evil film series began in early 2017, shortly after the release of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Constantin Film chairman Martin Moszkowicz confirmed a reboot was in development, with producer James Wan expressing interest in the project. Writer Greg Russo was attached in 2017, working with Wan to create a story he considered brutal and horrifying, drawing tonal inspiration from the 2017 video game Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Constantin Film was unimpressed with Russo's initial script, which included the use of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in the opening credits, and at one point proposed incorporating a time travel subplot. By December 2018, both Wan and Russo had departed the project due to creative differences, and Johannes Roberts was hired to write and direct.

Roberts stated his intention was to make a super, super scary film more faithful to the games than the previous films. In a statement to Deadline Hollywood, he confirmed the film would be based on Resident Evil (1996) and Resident Evil 2 (1998). Inspired by John Carpenter's films including Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13, and The Fog, he structured the story between the two main locations of the Spencer Mansion and the Raccoon Police Department. Roberts chose the tone of the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 as a model for the film, aiming to capture the atmospheric dread and fixed camera angles reminiscent of the original gameplay. He emphasized his version was a totally separate story from the Paul W. S. Anderson series, focused on the roots of the game and the world of terror.

The screenplay underwent significant revisions throughout 2019 and 2020. Early drafts were ambitious, incorporating a variety of mutants from the first two games even if only passively, and the story was intended as an ensemble piece comparable to Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The budget was cut from $40 million to $25 million, forcing Roberts to remove many computer-generated elements, condense the supporting cast, and tweak the protagonists' arcs. Concept artwork by Daniel Carrasco for monsters like Hunters, Chimeras, Crimson Heads, a giant shark named Neptune, and the Tyrant was completed but not used. Originally, Claire and Chris had no connection with William Birkin or Ben Bertolucci. This was added later to streamline the story after other script changes. Characters like Barry Burton and Rebecca Chambers were originally in the scripts with death scenes written for them, and a scene where Lisa Trevor sacrifices herself attacking Birkin was cut.

Casting was underway in early 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The principal cast was confirmed in October 2020, with Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield and Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine. Robbie Amell was cast as Chris Redfield, Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, and Neal McDonough as William Birkin. Donal Logue joined the cast as Chief Brian Irons in November 2020, alongside Chad Rook as Richard Aiken and Lily Gao as Ada Wong. In Japan, Capcom confirmed the characters would be dubbed by different voice actors from the Anderson films, with Chris and Claire voiced by Subaru Kimura and Fairouz Ai. Principal photography took place entirely in Ontario, Canada, beginning in Greater Sudbury on October 17, 2020, with cinematographer Maxime Alexandre, and wrapping on December 24, 2020. The film's full title was revealed in March 2021, and additional reshoots were conducted in Toronto and Hamilton in May 2021.

Plot Summary

Set in 1998, the film adapts and combines elements from the first two Resident Evil games. It opens with a flashback to the 1980s, showing a young Claire Redfield and her brother Chris living at the Raccoon City Orphanage, where Claire befriends Lisa Trevor, a disfigured girl experimented on by Umbrella Corporation scientist Dr. William Birkin. Claire eventually escapes the orphanage. In the present day, Claire returns to Raccoon City by hitchhiking. The truck driver accidentally hits a woman who disappears, and his dog licks her blood and becomes erratic. At a diner, rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy notices the owner bleeding from her eyes. Claire warns Chris about Umbrella's experiments, citing journalist Ben Bertolucci as her source, but after Chris leaves, a child fleeing his erratic mother breaks into the house, forcing Claire to escape.

At the police station, the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team meets Chief Brian Irons, who explains the Bravo team disappeared investigating a death at the remote Spencer Mansion. The Alpha team, Chris, Jill Valentine, Richard Aiken, Brad Vickers, and Albert Wesker, is sent to investigate, with Wesker secretly working for an unidentified party to steal William's virus. Inside the mansion, the team encounters zombies eating the Bravo team's bodies. Brad is bitten and crashes the helicopter, while Richard is killed. Chris and Jill escape through a secret passage Wesker unlocked. Meanwhile, the infected truck driver transforms into a zombie and crashes outside the police station. Chief Irons attempts to flee but is fired upon by Umbrella guards, forcing him to return.

Claire and Leon find Bertolucci locked in a cell, but he is bitten by a zombie inmate as the station becomes overrun. Leon, Claire, and Irons escape to the Orphanage in search of a secret Umbrella tunnel. A Licker kills Irons and attacks Leon, but Lisa Trevor saves him, recognizes Claire, and gives them the keys to the secret passage. They discover an underground laboratory where Umbrella has experimented on children. Wesker confronts William and his family there, killing William's wife in self-defense during a shootout. Jill shoots Wesker, who appears to die but tells her to escape by underground train before Umbrella destroys the city. William injects himself with the G-Virus and mutates. Chris, Jill, Claire, Leon, and William's daughter Sherry board the train, but it derails when Raccoon City is destroyed, allowing the monstrous William to reach them. Leon kills the creature with a rocket launcher. Although the Corporation reports zero civilian survivors, the five emerge from the train tunnel and leave Raccoon City behind. In a mid-credits scene, Wesker awakens inside a body bag, unable to see, and a mysterious woman gives him sunglasses and introduces herself as Ada Wong.

Release and Marketing

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was originally scheduled for release on September 3 and 9, 2021, but was delayed. It had its world premiere at the Grand Rex in Paris, France, on November 19, 2021, before its theatrical release in the United States on November 24, 2021, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Marketing for the film began with official images released on August 31, 2021, which were met with a mixed response. The first trailer debuted on October 7, 2021, sparking debate among fans who praised its faithfulness to the first two games but criticized its casting and special effects. The marketing analysis firm RelishMix summarized that fans noticed Milla Jovovich's absence while questioning the logic, the look of the effects, and comparing the film to the game's CGI. Prior to release, Metro criticized the characters based on the trailer, calling them bad cosplay and saying their acting was too authentic to the games.

The film was released on video-on-demand platforms on December 21, 2021, where it became the top-rented film on Vudu during its first weekend. Physical home media releases on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray followed on February 8, 2022, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. These sales generated over $3.6 million in revenue from North America alone. The film's performance on digital and home video platforms was noted by the producers as a positive sign, with actor Tom Hopper confirming in June 2022 that Sony and Constantin Film were pleased with its success on video-on-demand, contributing to discussions about potential sequels.

Box Office Performance

Produced on a budget of $25 million, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City grossed $42 million worldwide. Its domestic performance in the United States and Canada totalled $17 million, while international markets contributed $25 million. The film opened in North America on November 24, 2021, alongside House of Gucci and Encanto, and was projected to gross $8 to $10 million from 2,803 theaters over its five-day opening weekend. It made $2.5 million on its first day, including $935,000 from Tuesday night previews, from a total of 225,000 theater admissions. The audience was 64% male and 68% between the ages of 18 and 34. Over its first five days, the film grossed $8.85 million, placing fifth at the box office. It earned $2.69 million in its second weekend, $1.66 million in its third (finishing sixth), and $316,480 from 719 theaters in its fourth weekend, placing tenth.

Internationally, the film opened in 15 markets, earning $5.1 million in its first weekend. It made $4.2 million in its second weekend and $2.3 million in its third. Japan was the film's highest-grossing foreign market, contributing $5.1 million from the box office. In Thailand, the film earned $253,735. The film's box office trajectory indicated it was a modest financial success but did not reach the heights of previous entries in the franchise. The following table details the film's box office gross by key territory and performance metrics.

Critical and Audience Reception

Critical response to Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was mixed to negative. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 30% of 92 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's consensus reads: 'Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is an affectionately faithful adaptation that further proves its source material is ill-suited to the big screen.' Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of C+ on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a 61% positive score, with 48% saying they would definitely recommend it. Despite the mixed reception, Rotten Tomatoes later listed the film on its 100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer.

Some reviewers offered positive or mixed assessments. Johnny Oleksinski from the New York Post gave 3 out of 4 stars, saying the film is empty-headed good fun that's blessedly under two hours and has just enough character development to make you kind of care when someone gets bitten. Ferdosa Abdi from Screen Rant called it a fun and faithful adaptation of the games but felt it was lacking in character substance. Sean Keane from CNET praised the film, noting that despite the lack of scares, minor tweaks to the games' lore and overall silliness, director Johannes Roberts' love for Resident Evil is clear in every moment, with a barrage of Easter eggs and fascinating takes on classic characters aimed squarely at fans.

Other critics were more negative. Taylor Lyles of IGN gave the film a 6/10, explaining that while Roberts deserves credit for sticking closer to the source material, a short runtime, a rushed third act, and lack of elements to make it truly scary hold it back immensely, though it should serve as decent fun for fans. Mark Hanson from SLANT wrote a mixed review, stating Roberts clearly establishes the hauntingly depressed industrial environment of Raccoon City while methodically spacing out his zombie attacks, which, while not especially innovative, at times put a pit in your stomach like the games do. Charles Bramesco from The A.V. Club gave the film a C+, calling it totally bereft of the visual distinction or creative personality that often made its predecessors intriguing diamonds in the rough. Nick Schager from Variety criticized the bevy of unexplained details, dropped subplots, paper-thin characterizations and fright-free mayhem. Kimberly Myers from the Los Angeles Times gave a negative review, noting the film may reward longtime fans of the video games by returning to the series' origins, but others will find themselves wanting to leave town, much like the movie's characters.

Franchise Context and Future Projects

Welcome to Raccoon City was conceived as a reboot, deliberately separating itself from the six-film series starring Milla Jovovich that were released between 2002 and 2017. Director Johannes Roberts expressed a desire to create a new franchise based more closely on the games' horror roots. Following the film's release, Roberts and cast members discussed ideas for sequels, though no direct follow-up was officially greenlit. Roberts stated that if a sequel were developed, he would like to adapt the story from Resident Evil, Code: Veronica, referenced in the film with an appearance of the Ashford Twins, and then Resident Evil 4. He also expressed interest in adapting Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village in the future. Actor Robbie Amell stated he hoped to return as Chris in a sequel that included his boulder-punching scene from Resident Evil 5.

By June 2022, Tom Hopper confirmed Sony and Constantin Film were pleased with the film's success on video-on-demand and said he hoped to play Albert Wesker again. In October 2022, Constantin Film executive producer Martin Moszkowicz confirmed the film was one of several projects in development alongside another television series which would have replaced Netflix's series cancelled two months prior. Moszkowicz was skeptical of films being released for theatres if not projected to be successful. In a significant development for Canadian production, in April 2023, Raccoon HG Film Productions, which financed Welcome to Raccoon City, received a grant of CA$2 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for the production of a film titled Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Greater Sudbury was picked as the principal film location. According to industry reporter Jeff Sneider, the studio was looking at Zach Cregger to direct the new film.

This project evolved, and by January 2025, it was reported that Cregger was writing and directing a new film reboot, to be co-produced by Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions. In March 2025, Sony Pictures won a bidding war to secure the rights to the Resident Evil franchise, including its upcoming untitled project, with Columbia Pictures serving as the film's new distributor and actor Austin Abrams in talks to star. This new reboot represents a further evolution of the franchise separate from the storyline established in Welcome to Raccoon City. The key developments following the 2021 film include:

• June 2022: Tom Hopper confirms studio satisfaction with video-on-demand performance.
• October 2022: Martin Moszkowicz confirms multiple Resident Evil projects in development.
• April 2023: A CA$2 million grant is awarded for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles in Northern Ontario.
• January 2025: Zach Cregger is attached to write and direct a new reboot film.
• March 2025: Sony Pictures secures franchise rights for a new project.

Music and Technical Details

The film score for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was composed by Mark Korven, known for his work in the horror genre. The soundtrack was released by Milan Records and Sony Classical, accompanying the film's dark and atmospheric tone. Cinematography was handled by Maxime Alexandre, who collaborated with director Johannes Roberts to achieve the desired visual style, which Roberts described as constantly raining, dark, and scary, with Raccoon City itself as a rotten character. The production design aimed to recreate the distinct environments from the games, particularly the Spencer Mansion and the Raccoon Police Department, using practical sets built in Ontario studios and locations. The film's special effects involved a combination of practical makeup for zombies and creatures like Lisa Trevor, and computer-generated imagery for larger monsters and the city's destruction, though the scope of CGI was reduced due to the budget cuts from $40 million to $25 million.

Questions about Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Is Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City connected to the other Resident Evil movies?

No, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a complete reboot of the live-action film series. It tells a separate story that is not connected to the previous six films starring Milla Jovovich released between 2002 and 2017. Director Johannes Roberts intentionally created a new narrative that is more faithful to the story and atmosphere of the first two video games, Resident Evil (1996) and Resident Evil 2 (1998). The film features an entirely new cast portraying the classic game characters and was described by Roberts as a totally separate story based on the roots of the game and the world of terror.

Where was Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City filmed in Canada?

The film was shot entirely in Ontario, Canada. Principal photography began on October 17, 2020, in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, and was completed on December 24, 2020. The production later returned to Ontario for reshoots in May 2021, which took place in Toronto and Hamilton. The use of Canadian locations was further supported when the film's financing entity, Raccoon HG Film Productions, received a CA$2 million grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation in April 2023 for a potential follow-up project titled Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, with Greater Sudbury again selected as the principal location, highlighting the region's ongoing role in the franchise's production.

How did the film perform at the box office?

The film was a modest financial success, grossing $42 million worldwide against a production budget of $25 million. It earned $17 million in the United States and Canada and an additional $25 million from international markets. Its highest-grossing foreign territory was Japan, which contributed $5.1 million. In North America, it opened on November 24, 2021, earning $2.5 million on its first day from 225,000 admissions. Over its first five days, it grossed $8.85 million, finishing fifth at the box office. The film found additional success after its theatrical run, performing well on video-on-demand where it was the top-rented film on Vudu its first weekend and generating over $3.6 million from North American home video sales.

What video games does the movie adapt?

The film primarily adapts and combines the stories from the first two games in the Capcom series: Resident Evil (1996) and Resident Evil 2 (1998). Director Johannes Roberts structured the narrative around the two primary locations from those games: the Spencer Mansion from the first title and the Raccoon Police Department from the second. He chose the tone of the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 as a model. The plot follows the intertwined stories of the S.T.A.R.S. team investigating the mansion and Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy surviving the city outbreak, incorporating characters, creatures, and story beats from the source material while condensing them into a single film.

Will there be a sequel to Welcome to Raccoon City?

While no direct sequel was officially greenlit, there was significant discussion and planning for follow-ups. Director Johannes Roberts expressed interest in adapting Resident Evil, Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 4 for potential sequels, and also mentioned Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village. Cast members like Robbie Amell and Tom Hopper expressed hope to return. By 2023, a related project titled Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles was in development with a grant for production in Greater Sudbury. However, the franchise's direction shifted, and by January 2025, a new, separate reboot film was announced with Zach Cregger attached to write and direct for Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions, suggesting the storyline from Welcome to Raccoon City will not continue.

Why was the film's budget reduced during production?

The film's initial budget was set at $40 million but was cut to $25 million during the development and pre-production phase. This significant reduction forced writer-director Johannes Roberts to make extensive changes to his script throughout 2019 and 2020. Many computer-generated elements and creatures planned from the games, such as Hunters, Chimeras, Crimson Heads, a giant shark named Neptune, and the Tyrant (Mr. X), were removed despite concept artwork being completed. The supporting cast was condensed, character arcs were tweaked, and several action sequences were scaled down or cut entirely, including a sacrifice scene for Lisa Trevor. These changes were made to bring the production in line with the lower financial ceiling, impacting the final scope and visual effects of the film.

Sources and further reading

• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (Wikipedia)
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (rottentomatoes.com)
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) (letterboxd.com)
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City | Watch on Disney+ (disneyplus.com)
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Review (ign.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.