Apr.16.2021
The director of RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness has been revealed, and a character trailer focusing on Leon and Claire has been released.
Known as the gold standard of survival horror games with over 100 million units shipped worldwide, Resident Evil is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The original CG anime series, RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness, will launch exclusively on Netflix in July this year.
The director will be Eiichiro Hasumi, the critically-acclaimed director behind some of Japan’s biggest live-action hits, including the “Umizaru'' series, the “Mozu” series, and “The Sun Does Not Move.” As this marks director Hasumi’s first anime work, he spoke about his joy and aspirations in taking on this new challenge: “Being involved in a work with such a long history and so many fans gave me more joy than it did pressure. While this is a full CG anime, I strove to adjust the camerawork and lighting atmosphere to resemble the live-action filming I usually do to instill this work with a sense of realism. I hope that both fans of the “Resident Evil'' series and non-fans alike can enjoy watching the series in one go.”
The composer of the music that breathes life into this epic tale is Yugo Kanno, a musician who is active in a wide range of fields and genres, including documentaries and games, with a particular focus on films, TV dramas, and animation. Looking back on the days he spent experimenting and creating the music that expresses the unique atmosphere of the much-loved series, he says: “I inherited the spirit of the many people who worked on the previous “Resident Evil” titles and took on the challenge of creating a new atmosphere through trial-and-error. I was keenly aware that this work would be released on Netflix, so I focused on the scale of a Hollywood film so that overseas viewers could also enjoy this. Since I received the same detailed orders as usual from Director Hasumi, I was not particularly conscious of the fact this was an animation during its production. In fact, it feels like I am only now realizing that this is an animated series. (laughs)”
A character trailer focused on Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield has also been revealed. Leon, who is investigating a hacking incident, and Claire, visiting to petition the government to construct a welfare facility, have a chance reunion at the White House. A strange drawing from a little boy and an unexpected power outage in the White House mark the beginning of the infinite darkness.
◆Full Q&A with Eiichiro Hasumi
- Q. You have built an impressive career in live-action, including many popular action films and series. How did it feel directing a 3DCG series for “Resident Evil,” a globally popular IP, as your first foray into anime?
- A: Being involved in a work with such a long history and so many fans gave me more joy than it did pressure. I was supported by the amazing staff during my first attempt at a full CG anime. I am so appreciative of their efforts and truly feel that they dragged me across the finish line.
While this is a full CG anime, I strove to adjust the camerawork and lighting atmosphere to resemble the live-action filming I usually do to instill this work with a sense of realism. Since the characters are loved by many people, we ensured that our depiction of them does not betray the fans’ expectations. It was also reassuring that the motion capture actors and voice actors were the cast that play Leon and Claire.
- Q. Leon and Claire are popular “Resident Evil” series characters that are beloved by fans across the globe. What did you want to draw from them in this work?
- A: Leaning on a suggestion from the Executive Producer Kobayashi, we decided to portray Leon as a somewhat cynical character in contrast to Claire. These events take place in 2006, between the time he was a young man filled with a sense of justice and 2014, when he had become slightly fatigued by the endless fighting as depicted in “Resident Evil: Vendetta.”
The suit Leon wears is important as it symbolizes this position. I was impressed because he looks cool even in formal attire.
- Q. This work will be released in 190 countries on Netflix. What kind of viewers across the globe would you like to watch this? Please tell us if there was anything you were conscious of specifically because it is a global release.
- A: I really appreciated that the ADR Director Alex worked hard on this project for a long time, from the motion capture stage for the English translation of lines, as well as the culture and customs.
When I received this offer from Producer Shinohara, I was asked to add an element of suspense, so based on the mystery of what happened in the Penamstan War six years earlier, we constructed the story to shuffle the timeline and slowly turn over the cards to reveal the truth.
I hope that both fans of the “Resident Evil” series and non-fans alike can enjoy this element too, while watching the series in one go.
◆Full Q&A with Yugo Kanno
- Q. You have composed music for works from various genres, but what were you conscious of when producing the music for this work? Were there any tricks you used to generate the unique atmosphere of “Resident Evil”?
- A: Since this is an internationally popular series, I watched the previous “Resident Evil” titles and inherited the spirit of the many people who worked on them, and took on the challenge of creating a new atmosphere through trial-and-error. I was keenly aware that this work would be released on Netflix, so I focused on the scale of a Hollywood film so that overseas viewers could also enjoy this.
- Q. This wasn’t like the live-action films or drama settings that you have collaborated on in the past with Director Hasumi. Please tell us if you had any new realizations or discoveries unique to an anime production set, or any points of particular focus.
- A: It was not particularly different from live-action films or dramas. Since I received the same detailed instructions as usual from Director Hasumi, including the exact impression and way he wanted to show the visuals, I was not particularly conscious of the fact this was an animation during its production. In fact, it feels like I am only now realizing that this is an animated series. (laughs)
- Q. What sort of themes or images did you share with director Hasumi when producing the music for this series? Please tell us if there were any discussions that left an impression during your communication with the director.
- A: During my conversations with Director Hasumi for the demo music for the first trailer, I realized that even though this was a work of horror, it isn’t typical of “Resident Evil” to rely too much on music to scare. However, it has to be scary too, so I worked on striking that balance for the music through trial-and-error while sharing the demo music with him.
Netflix Original Anime Series
RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness (Netflix global launch in 2021)
(Note: RESIDENT EVIL is all in capital letters, followed by a colon, and a space between "Infinite" and "Darkness")
- titles:
- “The Way of the Househusband”, “Eden”, “RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness”
- Original Work/Production/Supervision:
- Capcom Co., Ltd.
- Director:
- Eiichiro Hasumi
- Executive Producer:
- Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Capcom)
- CG Producer:
- Kei Miyamoto
- Full 3DCG animation production:
- Quebico
- Production:
- TMS Entertainment
- Copyright:
- ©CAPCOM CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- Cast:
- Leon S. Kennedy: Nick Apostolides
Claire Redfield: Stephanie Panisello
- Launch Date:
- Netflix global launch in July, 2021
- Links
- Netflix title page
［STORY］
In 2006, there were traces of improper access to secret Presidential files found in the White House’s computer network. American federal agent Leon S. Kennedy is among the group invited to the White House to investigate this incident, but when the lights suddenly go out, Leon and the SWAT team are forced to take down a horde of mysterious zombies. Meanwhile, TerraSave staff member Claire Redfield encounters a mysterious image drawn by a young boy in a country she visited, while providing support to refugees. Haunted by this drawing, which appears to be of a victim of viral infection, Claire starts her own investigation. The next morning, Claire visits the White House to request the construction of a welfare facility. There, she has a chance reunion with Leon and uses the opportunity to show him the boy’s drawing. Leon seems to realize some sort of connection between the zombie outbreak at the White House and the strange drawing, but he tells Claire that there is no relation and leaves. In time, these two zombie outbreaks in distant countries lead to events that shake the nation to its very core.
About Netflix
Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 204 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
About TMS Entertainment
By maintaining a balance of creativity and business production, TMS Entertainment provides a one-stop shop for services from IP creation to consumer satisfaction improvement, centered around its animation production, licensing, and content businesses. TMS Entertainment has continuously produced much-loved anime titles in Japan, including "Lupin the 3rd," "Anpanman," and “Detective Conan” while connecting its library of over 12,000 episodes across a total of 420 titles to its global business.
About Quebico
Quebico is an animation studio newly established in 2017 by Kei Miyamoto, who managed the production of high-end game movies and full 3DCG feature-length animations, including “Resident Evil: Vendetta.” This studio was established with the goal of finding a new way to produce full 3DCG animation. Armed with its accumulated knowledge of video production and a uniquely developed cloud-based production infrastructure, this studio is collaborating with highly skilled creators both in and outside Japan to create high-end full 3DCG animations which had only been possible at major studios up until now.
