Get Ready To Return To ‘Resident Evil’ In This New Film [New Blood News]
“You have once again entered the world of survival horror… Good luck!”
Brings back memories, doesn’t it? It’s a captivating salutation, a faux welcome to the horrors that await those willing to pass through the mansion doors and face whatever stalks its halls. It makes many promises: terror, stress, a beating heart racing faster and faster through every doorway entered, unknown dangers just behind their frames. It’s not just the world of survival horror you’re entering, it’s THE world of survival horror. Yes, I’m talking about Resident Evil.
I’m sure the name alone is enough explanation to most horror fans, but just in case you’re lacking a file or two, I’ll give you a quick lowdown. Essentially, the unholy marriage of insatiable corporate greed and unchecked militaristic advancement birth new biological weapons of many shapes and sizes — flesh-hungry undead, bear-sized spiders, bloodthirsty lizardmen, just to name a few. After members of an elite task force — S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) — find themselves in an estate filled with these biohazards, they use every bit of skill they possess to fight their way out and expose the people responsible… But not before a whole city is nuked in response to a superseding viral outbreak. Win some, lose some.
There’s plenty of lore after those events — it’s still being told to this day with new games and remakes — but none of it pertains to today’s topic. We’re sticking to the original trilogy, my Hunter Betas and Gammas, and not even the entire trilogy at that. Nope, just the first game, the one that started it all!
The Resident Evil franchise is famous for using found files and documents to build its world, essentially tossing the whole “show, don’t tell” philosophy to the zombies and assigning its players a reading assignment if they wish to grasp the whole story. Despite sounding a lot like homework, this approach works really well, and I have yet to hear too many complaints. It set the standard, causing other survival horror games to do the same, so it must’ve done something right! Out of the many, MANY files scattered the underground labs and above-ground labs and ground-level labs, one reigns more revered than any other.
Found in a bedroom deep within the Spencer Mansion is the Keeper’s Diary, a journal describing the final days of the estate’s keeper as he succumbs to the t-Virus infection, slowly turning into one of the many living dead. The final page says it all—“4. Itchy. Tasty.”
Personally, I love the idea of using the in-game files as the basis for films set within the universe. It’s an approach that keeps it grounded to established roots, while also allowing enough freedom to let a filmmaker sprout their own ideas a bit. Andrew Saullo feels the same way, which is why he brought a talented crew together to make a short film based on the Keeper’s Diary called… Well, The Keeper’s Diary: A Biohazard Story!
The Keeper’s Diary: A Biohazard Story
(Directed by Andrew Saullo; Starring Charlie Kraslavsky, Gracie Madsen, Ward E. Sexton; 2024)
“Embark on a journey back into the world of Survival Horror with The Keeper’s Diary: A Biohazard Story, a fan film that draws inspiration from the timeless Resident Evil (1996) and its Remake (2002). This cinematic adaptation centers around the iconic diary known as “The Keeper’s Diary”, discovered within the Mansion. The narrative encapsulates the harrowing account of a Researcher succumbing to a viral outbreak within an underground research facility.”
You don’t have to give me an excuse to take a trip back to the Mansion and relive precious childhood memories. Usually of being scared shitless due to zombie dog shenanigans.
Saullo spoke a bit of what inspired him to pursue a filmmaking career:
“I’ve been into movies as long as I can remember… I’ve always had a massive appreciation for film history. Some of my favorite directors are [Stephen] Spielberg, [George] Lucas, [Stanley] Kubrick, [Sam] Raimi… [Shinji] Mikami is one of my biggest inspirations being such a huge fan of Resident Evil and Dino Crisis.”
Saullo sounds like a proper cinephile. Being a lover of film only goes so far in this scenario, though. But how strong is his love for the flagship survival horror series? Short answer, it’s pretty strong.
“My first experience with Resident Evil was in 1999. My mom rented Dino Crisis… and it came with a demo disc of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis,” he said. “I have been hooked ever since… I kept playing game after game over the years, and I still do to this day.”
When it comes to the many transcripts found across the series, plenty have achieved an iconic status among fans. Trevor’s Diary, Researcher’s Letter, Chief’s Diary, Dario’s Memo, Jill’s Diary… a whole lot of diaries. In any case, there’s no shortage of material to be had. However, when it comes to a singular file to represent the entire franchise, the Keeper’s Diary beats them all out.
“I chose the file because it is arguably the most iconic file in all of Resident Evil. It has an eerie way of telling you what happened to the keeper. Reading it is so haunting, it sticks with us over the years,” said Saullo. “It reminds me of the scene from Jaws when Robert Shaw is telling his story about his traumatic experience… It also reminds me of Jack Torrance from The Shining and how he slowly succumbed to the will of the spirits… and gave into cabin fever.”
Implementing the lore as groundwork, narratives that were only hinted at originally can be greatly expanded upon. I’m honestly surprised I haven’t seen it done more often.
When asked what inspired him to go this route, Saullo said:
“All throughout the 2000s, my heart kept shattering more and more, piece by piece with each release of a Hollywood [Resident Evil] film… when the reboot was announced with WTRC [Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City], I had conjured up a little hope based off some BTS photos… however, when the trailer was released, all hope was lost… I can’t begin to tell you how furious I was walking out that theatre. From that point on… I set out to do my best to make a faithful adaptation.”
Saullo isn’t alone in bringing this haunting entry to life, enlisting not only the help of the original live-action Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker voice actors—Charlie Kraslavsky and Pablo Kuntz—but also the longtime title call voice, Ward E. Sexton!
“After I made my storyboard animatic, I thought it would be a good idea to contact Charlie Kraslavsky and Eric Pirius, who both expressed interest. From there, Charlie hooked me up with Greg Smith… and the rest is history,” said Saullo. “Connecting with Ward was a recommendation I received from one of the members of the Raccoon City STARS Blog… Greg, Eric, Charlie, Ward, and Pablo are all wonderful people, and I am truly blessed to be friends and work with them.”
From what we’ve seen so far, it appears a good bit from the games is being included. Things not even the official live-action films have shown, such as the Hunters. Unfortunately, practical FX was too costly to be used, so CGI will bring these scaly headhunters to life.
Saullo said, “As much as I love practical effects, we couldn’t fit it into our budget so the Hunter will be CGI, and I have a few talented artists currently working on it.”
Can’t blame a man for the cruelties of a budget. Every filmmaker runs into them eventually, and with everything else I’ve seen, I suspect this is far from a deal-breaker.
The film is expected to drop on the Residence of Evil YouTube channel sometime this year. Keep updated on the film by following its Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as the Biohazard Declassified and Residence of Evil YouTube channels.
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