Netflix reveals series director and composer as well as character trailer of Leon and Claire, and zombies, as the White House suddenly goes dark; highly anticipated anime series to premiere exclusively on the streaming giant this July.
Netflix has just announced the director, Eiichiro Hasumi, and composer, Yugo Kanno, for their upcoming CG anime series, RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness, which will debut exclusively on the streaming giant this coming July.
With over 100 million units shipped worldwide, Resident Evil is one of the most successful game franchises in history. The series has spawned over 140 different titles on consoles, phone apps, and other platforms to become one of Capcom's most popular brands. Heading toward its 25th anniversary in 2021, the series is nearing the release of its newest upcoming game, Resident Evil Village on May 7, 2021.
Hasumi, the critically acclaimed director of some of Japan’s biggest live-action hits, including the Umizaru or Mozu series, as well as The Sun Does Not Move, is directing the Netflix Original Anime Series. Speaking about his joy and aspirations in taking on his first anime project, the director said, “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.”
In the character trailer, Leon S. Kennedy (Nick Apostolides) is investigating a hacking incident, while Claire Redfield (Stephanie Panisello) is visiting the White House to petition the government to construct a welfare facility. During their chance D.C. reunion, a strange drawing from a little boy and an unexpected power outage in the White House mark the beginning of the infinite darkness.
Let the intrigue begin!
The series is being scored by Yugo Kanno, a versatile musician active in a wide range of fields and genres, including documentaries and games, with a particular focus on films, TV dramas, and animation. Looking at his work on the project, he noted, “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).”
The CG anime series will be produced and supervised by Capcom's Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has been responsible for bringing numerous titles in the Resident Evil series to life. TMS Entertainment, producer of numerous anime series like Lupin the 3rd and Detective Conan, is leading production, with Quebico, led by Kei Miyamoto (Resident Evil: Vendetta), in charge of 3DCG animation.
Netflix has previously shared the storyline:
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.
Source: Netflix
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
