'Resident Evil' Live-Action Series Coming To Netflix; Learn The First Story Details

Netflix is adding another geeky property to its collection. The streaming giant confirmed that a live-action Resident Evil Netflix series is in the works, based on Capcom's massively popular video game franchise. Netflix revealed the first story details about its live-action Resident Evil series, which puts a bit of a Stranger Things twist on the story.

Netflix has confirmed the early reports that a scripted live-action Resident Evil series inspired by the best-selling survival horror video game series is coming to the streaming service. But the Netflix series will be slightly different from the zombie video game series created by Shinji Mikami and Tokuro Fujiwara, and even from the Paul W.S. Anderson films starring Milla Jovovich. Instead, this Resident Evil Netflix series will tell a "brand new story across two timelines." Here are the first story details for Resident Evil series, shared by Netflix:

In the first timeline, fourteen-year-old sisters Jade and Billie Wesker are moved to New Raccoon City. A manufactured, corporate town, forced on them right as adolescence is in full swing. But the more time they spend there, the more they come to realize that the town is more than it seems and their father may be concealing dark secrets. Secrets that could destroy the world.

Cut to the second timeline, well over a decade into the future: there are less than fifteen million people left on Earth. And more than six billion monsters — people and animals infected with the T-virus. Jade, now thirty, struggles to survive in this New World, while the secrets from her past – about her sister, her father and herself – continue to haunt her.

It sounds like Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead, which certainly would be a formula that would work out for Netflix, whose flagship genre show Stranger Things continues to be a big pop culture powerhouse. As for the post-apocalyptic future timeline — well, we all know how long The Walking Dead has been going.

But the Resident Evil franchise is nothing if not adaptable. The first Resident Evil video game first debuted in 1996 and was hailed as a widely influential survival horror game. It spawned multiple sequels, film adaptations, and even theme park attractions, and to this day is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The Resident Evil six-film franchise, produced by Constantin Film, has collectively earned more than $1.2 billion worldwide.

The Netflix series will be executive produced and written by Andrew Dabb (Supernatural), who will also act as showrunner for the eight-episode series. Dabb said in a statement:

"Resident Evil is my favorite game of all time. I'm incredibly excited to tell a new chapter in this amazing story and bring the first ever Resident Evil series to Netflix members around the world. For every type of Resident Evil fan, including those joining us for the first time, the series will be complete with a lot of old friends, and some things (bloodthirsty, insane things) people have never seen before."

Bronwen Hughes (The Walking Dead, The Journey Is the Destination) will direct and executive produce the first two episodes. Also executive producing are Robert Kulzer and Oliver Berben of Constantin Film and Mary Leah Sutton, while Constantin Film CEO Martin Moszkowicz will produce.