Resident Evil: Death Island - Everything You Need To Know

Despite being notorious for its video game releases, when it comes to computer-animated action horror titles, "Resident Evil" has several movies and even a Netflix series titled "Infinite Darkness" on its roster. But now another chapter is set to be added to the ever-expanding zombie-ridden narrative, one appropriately titled "Resident Evil: Death Island." While the animated motion picture will see plenty of undead and B.O.W. threats enter the frame, fans will also get to see some of the most notable characters the franchise has ever let players control finally team up.

While a number of personas have made an impact in the "Resident Evil" series, certain individuals have not only stood out but returned for multiple appearances throughout the games, films, and shows, arguably becoming overall fan favorites. Several of the early game titles are among the most cherished in the series, with excellent playable characters like Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers. Some of them have crossed paths and worked with one another but never have they all come together until it was time for the franchise to take a trip to "Death Island."

The stage is set for another pulse-pounding, action-packed zombie nightmare, and before everyone gets to watch the franchise's all-stars team up to take on more T-Virus madness, we should first sum up everything there is to know about "Resident Evil: Death Island."

Of all the questions people have about "Resident Evil: Death Island," there is no denying that the most pertinent would probably involve when the movie comes out. Luckily there is no strange mansion puzzle or weird key needed to figure out the zombie action motion picture's release date.

The film was first announced thanks to a report from IGN released in February 2023, indicating that Capcom had another CGI feature film in the works from one of their most iconic franchises set to release in the summer of that year. Later, Bloody Disgusting wrote that the film would be getting a theatrical release in Japan on July 7, 2023.

It was then revealed that in the United States "Resident Evil: Death Island" would skip the theaters, so people could enjoy it at home or on their favorite device wherever. According to Sony Pictures Entertainment, the 89-minute computer-animated feature film will be available on video-on-demand platforms along with the traditional Blu-ray and DVD options starting on July 25, 2023.

There are many "Resident Evil" titles to keep track of but to make things easier, fans should know that "Resident Evil: Death Island" shares no continuity or connectivity with the six live-action films headlined by Milla Jovovich, Netflix's live-action series, or the 2021 title "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City." It is, however, canon with the video game titles in the series and the other computer-animated shows and movies.

To put things in perspective, the events of the first "Resident Evil" game take place in 1998 within the franchise's continuity, and the events of "Resident Evil Village" occur in 2021. According to Capcom, "Resident Evil: Death Island" takes place in 2015, after the events of the film "Resident Evil: Vendetta" but before the game "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard."

"Resident Evil: Death Island" has the franchise's main players off on their own missions — from investigating a scientist's kidnapping to hunting down whale-killing sea creatures, even the usual zombie outbreak, it's business as usual for the war-torn Raccoon City survivors. But all their individual capers are connected, and they collide in a very unexpected place — Alcatraz. The infamous prison island is the site of another T-virus disaster waiting to happen but with a new and improved version of the devastating pathogen. The "Resident Evil" all-stars will have to join forces and put their combined efforts and experiences in these matters to the test in order to save the day from the biggest threat they have ever encountered.

Bringing the characters to life in "Resident Evil: Death Island" is a solid array of voice actors who have had run-ins with their respective characters in the past. Portraying Chris Redfield is Kevin Dorman, who has also voiced the persona in the computer-animated feature "Resident Evil: Vendetta" and the video game "Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles."

Taking on the part of Leon S. Kennedy once again is the talented Mathew Mercer. In the past, Mercer has voiced Leon in the computer-animated flicks "Resident Evil: Damnation," and " Resident Evil: Vendetta," as well as the games "Resident Evil: Revelations 2," and "Resident Evil 6." Regarding his return to the zombie franchise, the actor wrote on Instagram in a since-deleted post, according to Siliconera.com, that it's a "joy to hop in for a quick adventure in Leon's later years."

Erin Cahill has a number of impressive credits, including voicing Rebecca Chambers in "Resident Evil: Vendetta" and returning to do so in "Death Island." She shared her excitement with fans on Twitter, posting, "I'm so excited and honored to be back in the #ResidentEvil world as Rebecca Chambers!"

Nicole Tompkins, who's hyped up the CG film on Instagram, voices Jill Valentine, which she has done so previously in the "Resident Evil 3" remake, which is centered on the character.

Claire Redfield is voiced by Stephanie Panisello, who also played the character in the Netflix series "Infinite Darkness," and in the "Resident Evil 2" remake. She posted on Instagram that she is thrilled to play Claire again and be part of such an epic "Resident Evil" lineup.

The person chosen to sit in the director's chair for "Resident Evil: Death Island" is Eiichiro Hasumi, and for those wondering, this is not his first time helming a project from the Capcom property. Before he served as director for the 2023 computer-animated feature, he directed all four episodes of the computer-animated Netflix series "Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness," which takes place prior to the exciting events of the film.

And while it's only been a few years since the filmmaker participated in any "Resident Evil" projects, he was very excited to be brought back into the fold for another exciting chapter in the franchise's legacy. "Following the success of 'Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness,' it was a very exciting production period for me to be immersed in the world of 'Resident Evil' again," the director said in a comment translated from the film's official website. "The staff was mostly the same, so this time, we all worked together to scale up the film to screen size while aiming for a film that would be especially enjoyable for users who have been familiar with the 'Resident Evil' games for many years." 

The director seems eager to outdo his efforts on "Infinite Darkness" with a reliable team of people familiar with what it takes to excel in the world of "Resident Evil."

With so many "Resident Evil" titles, writing a new tale in the franchise is arguably no easy endeavor. Luckily the person responsible for crafting the script for "Resident Evil: Death Island" is someone who has had plenty of experience within the zombie-infested world Capcom has carefully cultivated over the years. Makoto Fukami has a number of writing credits that include novels, manga, TV shows, and movies.

Among his many accomplishments, the writer was tasked with cultivating the screenplay for the 2017 flick "Resident Evil: Vendetta," a film which was praised by Jonathan Barkan from Dread Central, who wrote in his review, "Simply Put, it's an absolute blast and I cannot wait for more!" Well, the wait is over as Fukami has returned for the trip to "Death Island." 

"Following on from 'Resident Evil: Vendetta,' I was given the opportunity to work on the screenplay for the new Resident Evil movie," the writer revealed in a statement translated from the "Resident Evil: Death Island" official website. "I myself am a big fan of the original game, so I was very moved to be able to return to the world where B.O.W. exists again." 

Fans should rest assured that Fukami did plenty of the right kind of research to properly pen the screenplay. "I started writing the script just after 'Resident Evil RE:3' was released (while playing it like crazy). I'm completing a perpetual machine of working on Resident Evil by playing Resident Evil and storing up energy to work on Resident Evil," he added. "Playing games is part of the job. I, too, am looking forward to the video by the great staff." It seems there is no better place to find great inspiration than the source material.

The trailer for "Resident Evil: Death Island" infected the internet when Sony injected it onto Youtube on June 5, 2023. The preview gives a glimpse of where everyone's at in the story, with Leon S. Kennedy looking into a missing DARPA scientist and Claire Redfield discovering a bite mark on a decimated Orca carcass that contained a new strain of the T-Virus. Meanwhile, Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers are trying to help Jill Valentine get over the fact that she was brainwashed by Albert Wesker, a main villain in the series who, before he met his demise, used Valentine for his own nefarious purposes, which she has unfortunately not gotten over.

The promo lays out the mission to Alcatraz island as well, where several people contracted the T-virus after recently visiting the tourist hotspot. It also reveals that the stakes have been raised a bit regarding the cannibal corpse issue, as the zombies they encounter now seem to turn much faster and don't have to be bitten. Not only will the fast-acting undead be a problem, but there are also several B.O.W. threats teased in the preview, like underwater Lickers and a large deadly sea creature. To stop the new evildoer dedicated to wiping the slate clean with his new bioweapon, the franchise elites will team up for the first time ever in an epic battle for survival. 

Of all the teased moments, seeing all of the characters die-hard fans have played as over the years forming up in a magnificent shot is drop-dead fantastic, and one of the many reasons fans shouldn't sleep on "Resident Evil: Death Island."

Before the movie arrives, some may want to experience as many of its predecessors as possible. Fortunately, everyone can skip all the live-action endeavors and focus on the other computer-animated titles in the timeline. If fans want to catch up, there are three motion pictures and one TV series that all take place prior to what goes down in "Resident Evil: Death Island."

In order to be properly prepared, viewers should check out "Resident Evil: Degeneration," "Resident Evil: Damnation," and "Resident Evil: Vendetta." None of the titles are available on streaming services, but they can all be found for rent or purchase on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.

Thankfully the TV series on the list doesn't overstay its welcome and takes place between "Resident Evil 4" and "Resident Evil 5," two major video game titles in the franchise. "Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness" is a four-part computer-animated series, and each entry is available to stream on Netflix. The episodes, which Total Film called an "oddly captivating slice of Resident Evil," range from 25-28 minutes in length.

The right order to watch these titles would be "Degeneration," "Infinite Darkness," "Damnation," and "Vendetta." Doing so is sure to make "Resident Evil: Death Island" a worthwhile destination.