George Romero and the Resident Evil movie that never happened

The history of cinema is full of ambitious projects that never made it to the screen. Among them, few arouse as much curiosity as the filming of Resident Evil which was almost directed by George A. Romerothe horror master responsible for shaping the zombie genre.

For gaming and horror fans, this is one of those stories that mix fascination and frustration: what would it have been like if the creator of Night of the Living Dead had brought the iconic franchise to the cinema Capcom?

In this article, we will revisit this unfinished trajectory: who Romero was, how the idea for his adaptation came about, what the main elements of the script were and why the project never got off the ground.

Who was George Romero: the “father” of zombies

The legacy of “Night of the Living Dead”

Em 1968, George A. Romero changed the history of terror with Night of the Living Dead. Filmed with a low budget and an unknown cast, the film redefined the figure of the zombie, transforming it from a folklore creature into a social metaphor. The impact was immediate: the film not only paved the way for countless sequels, but also inspired generations of filmmakers.

In addition to its public success, the work brought political and cultural discussions, from racism to Cold War paranoia, showing that horror could be both frightening and reflective.

How Romero Shaped the Zombie Genre

In the following years, Romero consolidated his brand with titles such as Awakening of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985). His vision mixed social criticism, graphic violence and claustrophobic atmospheres. When we think about the zombie apocalypse today, almost every element, hungry hordes, social collapse, isolated survivors, originates from his work.

Not surprisingly, when talking about zombies in the 1990sGeorge Romero’s name was synonymous with legitimacy.

How did the idea for George Romero to direct Resident Evil come about?

The rapprochement between Romero and Capcom

With the success of the first Resident Evil em 1996Capcom was looking to expand the franchise. The game was already described as “cinematic”, full of angles inspired by horror films. Nothing more natural than looking for Romero, whose work had inspired the series’ creator, Shinji Mikami.

The Japanese commercial for Resident Evil 2 directed by Romero

In 1998, Capcom hired Romero to direct a TV commercial for Resident Evil 2 (or Biohazard 2, in Japan). Filmed in a dark and claustrophobic style, the ad brought actors like Brad Renfro and Adrienne Frantz into a prison infested with the undead.

Although shown only in Japan, the commercial impressed with its realism and fidelity to the game. Every detail was carefully planned, showing Romero’s perfectionism. This experience paved the way for something bigger.

The invitation to adapt the game to the cinema

Excited with the result, Sony and Capcom invited Romero to write and direct a film version of the first game. For Resident Evil fans, the partnership sounded perfect: the biggest name in modern horror adapting the most popular zombie game of the time.

The Resident Evil script written by George Romero

Differences from the film released in 2002

Romero wrote his first draft in just six weeks. The focus was on the Spencer mansion and classic characters like Chris Redfield and Jill Valentineremaining faithful to the game’s narrative.

Paul WS Anderson’s version, released in 2002, took the opposite direction: it introduced new characters, such as Alice (played by Milla Jovovich), and relied on frenetic action inspired by the success of The Matrix. While Romero aimed for tension and horror, Anderson preferred visual spectacle.

The atmosphere of horror that Romero wanted to create

Romero intended to bring to the screen a horror closer to what players experienced in the game: slow exploration, suffocating environments and grotesque enemies. His script included iconic creatures such as the zombie shark, the giant snake and the carnivorous plant, elements that Anderson left out.

This fidelity would please the most purist fans, but it also raised doubts about the viability of the project, as the practical and digital effects would require a very high budget for the time.

What Resident Evil would be like if Romero had directed it

Among the changes proposed by Romero, one that stood out was reinterpretation by Chris Redfield: instead of a STARS military man, he would be a Native American and farmer, involved with Jill Valentine in a romance. Jill, in turn, would continue to be linked to the special forces, but her secret connection with Umbrella would give an air of mystery to the plot.

The ending, faithful to the game, predicted the destruction of the mansion and left room for sequels, with the threat of the T-virus arriving in Raccoon City.

Why George Romero’s Movie Never Happened

Despite the initial enthusiasm, the script did not please the executives of Capcom nem à Constantin Filmresponsible for production. Yoshiki Okamoto, producer at Capcom, even publicly stated: “Romero’s script wasn’t good, so he was let go.”

In addition to creative criticism, high costs and excessive fidelity to the game weighed against the project. For the producers, the target audience was not limited to hardcore fans of the franchise, and a more accessible approach seemed more viable.

Romero was disappointed. For him, it was ironic to see his style rejected in a work that, in a way, was already inspired by his own films.

Documentary about George Romero’s Resident Evil

Fan frustration, however, never died. In 2024, the documentary George A. Romero’s Resident Evil, directed by Brandon Salisbury, delved into this lost chapter of cinema history.

The production rescues interviews, script versions and conceptual arts, revealing what the adaptation could have been like. More than that, it reignites the question: would Romero have delivered the definitive Resident Evil film?

Check out the trailer:

Meanwhile, the franchise directed by Anderson became the most profitable horror saga in cinema history, with more than US$1.2 billion at the box office. Still, many fans continue to imagine the version that Romero could have made, darker, more faithful and, who knows, more revered.

O George Romero’s Resident Evil film is one of the great “what ifs” in pop culture. The union between the creator of the zombie genre and the biggest horror game franchise seemed perfect, but creative differences and commercial interests ended up burying the project.

Even without getting off the ground, this story continues to fascinate fans of cinema and video games, showing how the entertainment industry is made up of both successes and missed opportunities.

Did you enjoy discovering this curiosity about the meeting between George Romero and Resident Evil? So share this article on your social networks and keep browsing TecMundo to discover more stories from cinema and games that almost happened!