Milla Jovovich Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Milla Jovovich Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Cast: Ruby Rose, Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Running Time: 106 minutes

Synopsis: Based on Capcom's hugely popular video game series Resident Evil comes the final instalment in the most successful video game film franchise ever, which has grossed over $1 billion worldwide to date.

Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity's final stand against the undead. Now, she must return to where the nightmare began – The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Release Date: January 26th, 2017

Trailer

www.ResidentEvilMovie.net

 

About The Production

Enthralled Fans

The improbable beginning of Paul W.S. Anderson's fantastically successful film adaptation of the Resident Evil video game reads like a Hollywood ending. Producer, Jeremy Bolt, who has worked with Anderson for 25 years and on all the films in the series, recalls, 'Back in 2002, I went back to England and made a couple of small films, and Paul holed up in his house in Venice Beach where he played video games for 1 month. Out of the blue he called to say -I've been playing the game Resident Evil and we have got to get the film rights."

Since then the Resident Evil has grown to become the most successful game-to- movie franchise in the history of cinema, the first five instalments in the franchise having grossed in excess of $1 billion worldwide and earning consistent No. 1 openings at the box-office. Thrilling fans of Capcom's original video game and action/sci-fi movie audiences alike, the movie franchise has built up a hardcore fan base in the millions and reputation of its own over the 14 years that it has enthralled audiences with cutting edge action and a continually novel approach to the sci-fi/action genre. Jeremy Bolt opines about the global success of the series. 'I think it's the combination of style, action and horror. It isn't a straight horror movie and it isn't a traditional zombie movie. It has a fantastical, Sci-Fi element. I think Paul W.S. Anderson introducing the character of Alice, (Milla Jovovich) made it different to the game so that when you go see one of these movies you don't just have to be a fan of the game to enjoy it, you get something extra, which is the character of Alice. I think also we have a good villain in the evil and all-powerful Umbrella Corporation, which is totally relatable in the modern world."

Milla Jovovich shares her ideas as to why audiences have been so enthralled with Resident Evil, 'I like to believe that people respond to honesty, passion and fun. When we started we didn't expect this Resident Evil movie to become a franchise, we did it because we loved the video game. Every film has become a labour of love and fun, experiencing more and more in this crazy, amazing, sci-fi world. Everybody involved just really has a great time doing it. I think audiences respond to that energy and enthusiasm."

  Australian actress, Ruby Rose, who plays the role of Abigail in The Final Chapter, explains, 'One thing I love about Resident Evil is I feel like often Hollywood is craving a female, kick ass protagonist who isn't always relying on a man; one who isn't there just as the sidekick to a male super hero or the wife to a male lead. It's got to be a female driven role and there are not many of them, and then you kind of scratch your head looking for one, and then realize that there's been one all along! Milla Jovovich's been doing this for so many years, and she's so much like her character, in real life she's an independent, strong, and inspiring woman, and I think that's got to be a huge reason why people really love the franchise. Then, of course, it's apocalyptic and it's zombies and it's based on a very popular video game. Every single movie incorporates a different country as well and it's become a global phenomenon."

In the world of cinema that is saturated with male leads in action films, Milla Jovovich believes that Alice is an example of a strong female action hero who can hold her own in any situation. 'I think that Alice has inspired so many young women to be themselves, to go after what they want and to not be scared of who they are."

'Milla Jovovich is a very fierce actress, and she can convey focused rage well," says Jeremy Bolt, 'she's a very physical performer and has tremendous screen charisma, and the camera is very drawn to her. She really fills the frame with her personality. She has everything you want from the start, she's magnetic." 'What I play on screen, other women are actually acting out in their real lives on an everyday basis. When I see that, from fans who come up and talk about how meaningful this film or character is, and who helped them out in a pivotal point in their lives - either with their school or their family or their boyfriend or their country - I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it because it's just wonderful thinking that I have played some small part in positive growth in these young people's lives." says Milla Jovovich.

  The Last Survivors – The Characters

In The Final Chapter, Alice returns to the iconic origins of the T-virus in Raccoon City where she will attempt to stop the infection once and for all. After a crushing defeat in Washington D.C. and the demise of her personal army in Resident Evil: Retribution, she is given one last chance to save humanity from the final step in the Umbrella Corporation's plan. Once in Raccoon City, Alice makes contact with a new group of survivors – one of the last holdouts against the zombie apocalypse. Among these new survivors is franchise-favourite, Claire Redfield (Ali Larter). 'Claire had a crash and now she's become part of this last group of survivors. That's when Alice comes in and she cannot believe that's she been reunited with her", says Ali Larter, adding that her character has been fighting for her life since the third film in the franchise, Resident Evil: Extinction. 'My character has undergone a lot of personal development over the course of the series, and that was really interesting for me. She really wants to believe, she wants to connect, she wants to be able to feel something but there's never time because she is always being hunted".

Alongside Claire is series newcomer, Eoin Macken playing the character of Doc. Eoin Macken elaborates on his character, 'Doc is the leader of a small group of rebel survivors, which exists close to Raccoon city. He is involved romantically with Claire Redfield, and they are just about surviving. It's all very finely balanced because it's essentially the end of the world and everyone is very aggressive and stressed. When Milla Jovovich's character comes in, it's through Doc and Claire that she is able to survive".

Doc's right-hand man, 'Razor" (Fraser James), works alongside Doc in the survivor's compound. 'Razor is a straight forward guy," says Fraser James, 'he finds himself in this crazy world of nuclear warfare and the aftermath of that, and it's a desolate landscape. Razor is a survivor and you have to be a survivor if you're still alive after all of that. He finds himself as the right hand man to Doc.

Besides the obvious danger of the Umbrella Corporation and the mutant creatures at the door, there are some internal struggles among the survivors that are also at play. Fraser James explains that the most important thing for Michael in terms of his relationship with Doc is keeping him alive, 'because there is conflict in the group and there is danger that something may happen that won't be good for him. It's a very important relationship in the movie".

  The ensemble cast has brought back old favourites as well as some fresh new additions. In particular, this cast is incredibly diverse. Eoin Macken shares, 'it's been fun because everyone as a group of actors were all from different places, like Cuba, Japan, Ireland and England, Canada, the Ukraine, Russia and America, everywhere. Everyone's got a nice vibe, and then Paul and Jeremy bring an exciting energy."

Cuban-American actor, William Levy, joins the Resident Evil family as Christian, one of the militant survivors working with Doc's group. William Levy discusses his attraction to the project. 'The story is always going to reach different audiences, and I didn't have to think twice about being part of something as amazing as Resident Evil. I viewed all the previous movies and saw how good they were and when I read the Final Chapter script I knew it was going to be a better movie, in every way. I needed to be part of this". William Levy describes his character. 'He has a very strong personality, he doesn't trust anybody. He shoots first and asks questions later. He's willing to do whatever it takes to save the survivors, to save them all, including giving his life".

On the other side of the wall, Wesker (Shawn Roberts) returns to the franchise as the head of the Umbrella Corporation and the main antagonist. 'Wesker is always fighting to control the world and getting rid of the humanity that seems to be the death of this planet and constantly fighting towards that end. He's very calm, cool, collected and in control," says Shawn Roberts, 'you know that chaos is everywhere but that is the one sort of mainstay in this world. He is a clean, precise gentleman, while kicking ass. That's really cool too!"

Together with the production team Shawn Roberts put in a special effort to represent the iconic character faithfully from the video game source material. 'Every time we do this it's always a new adventure. We dedicated a lot of time into creating and sculpting the image, making sure everything fits just so and making sure that the hair is done -just so'. When the fans see the movie they're not disappointed. It helps to get into character. Wesker is one of my favourite characters, and so I absolutely love it!"

Alongside Wesker is fellow bona-fide villain, Dr. Isaacs, played by Iain Glen who is returning to the franchise since his last outing in Resident Evil: Extinction. Glen expands on why Dr. Isaacs has been such a popular villain in the series: 'We like to hate a well written baddie. He's very urbane, he's very in control and he's quite witty in his   devilishness. There's so much medical and scientific stuff going on that he's imbued himself with super powers as well, so he's formidable as a physical force as well. Isaacs is a very well drawn character by Paul W.S. Anderson, who wrote some wonderful scenes for me and I've loved playing the role in this film and there are a number of twists along the way".
As fellow head of the sinister Umbrella Corporation, Dr. Isaacs must battle Alice in her endeavour to put a stop to their radical plans for world domination.

'He's an insane egomaniac and wants to take over and rule the entire planet because Alice is one of his most sophisticated and brilliant creations, but his plan has backfired because she has a goodness about her and a desire to recover the situation which wasn't inbuilt in his creation." Another newcomer to the series is Australian actress, Ruby Rose, who says she would have had better grades at school if she had spent less time playing the it Resident Evil game. 'I was a big gamer, and after playing it for 4 years – a chunk of my life – I tried to get back 'into" school." When Ruby Rose heard that the Final Chapter was the last instalment and her last chance to get into the series, she jumped at the chance.

As the character Abigail – who is among the small group of survivors - is new to the series, Ruby Rose says she wanted to create an intricate backstory for Abigail. 'For her to still be surviving when there are so many people who haven't, and for her to be kind of in charge of where she is, she would have to be a fighter, very strong and very smart. She's very good with her hands, she's very much like the mechanic in the group, and she creates a lot of really cool weapons, but I feel like I'd want to be able to go onto to set and give her something more than just the lines that I was given. My idea for her backstory was to involve her family, what happened to them, what led her to be where she was, and what allowed her the strength to survive throughout all of that."

South Korean actor and musician, Lee Joon-Gi, plays 'Commander Lee", one of the Umbrella Corporation's henchmen. 'Commander Lee has a strong faith in himself and is a skilled warrior. He is very strong not only physically but also mentally." Lee Joon-Gi expounds.

As a well-established dramatic actor Lee Joo-Gi had to undergo physical training and instruction to portray his action-villain persona. 'I realised that Paul W.S. Anderson has watched so many of my previous dramas, movies and works because he understands my action roles   and the scenes. I had two or three days pre-training with the stunt team in Hollywood and they were very open to my ideas for the action choreography. It's been really great and really fun to have so much opportunity and I'm really excited".

An Epic Ending

Given the remarkable success of the five instalments to date in the Resident Evil series, with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter the filmmakers must find a point of difference, create an exceptional and unseen angle to the narrative, and, if even possible, raise the bar and deliver to audiences a spectacular close to the series.

Says Producer Jeremy Bolt, 'Fans can expect an Alice who is more vulnerable, more human, and a world that is more desperate, more distraught. The characters are at the end of their tether, giving us a sense that humanity is just about to lose to the T-Virus and to the Umbrella Corporation. ' Jeremy Bolt describes how the filmmakers have expanded the production value in each instalment by trying to find a new environment for the film. 'The first film was shot in Germany and was principally underground, the second film was shot in Toronto with eight weeks of night exteriors, and the third film was shot in Mexico, kind of like a desert road movie. The fourth film was shot in Los Angeles, and the fifth was all filmed on stage, kind of fantastical. One of the things that Paul W.S. Anderson and I try to deliver to the fans is that when they watch the first trailer, they must feel like it is a Resident Evil they have not seen before. I think franchises fall down when the trailer for the sequel comes out and the audience says -oh that reminds me of the last one, I feel like I've seen that movie'. You've got to try to be original while trying to give them something they are familiar with." Ali Larter enthuses, 'It's unbelievable that this will be the -last chapter' and I think it will be the rawest. Audiences will feel this different connection between people and sense a real humanity.

Eoin Macken believes it is the intense script of the final chapter that will make the last movie the most epic. 'It ties together all the final threads of this whole story and it just doesn't stop. It's fast paced action and everything is just bigger. Then there is a glorious finale where you just understand everything. For Alice's character it's this huge story arc and it's gripping".

  Fraser James agrees, 'I think that Paul W.S. Anderson, Jeremy Bolt and Milla Jovovich have really pulled it out on this one. The sets that are built to portray the epic storyline are monumental, the action is extraordinary, and the international group of actors that they have brought together is fantastic! We have come together and bonded like we are family."

'Paul W.S. Anderson very cleverly brought it completely full circle, and made you understand why it all began. It reaches an extraordinary conclusion," adds Iain Glen.

Says Milla Jovovich: 'I think fans are going to love this movie because it is everything that we have wanted but didn't have the chance to make for the past six movies, and at this point finally we're doing it. There are so many aspects that will be mind blowing, the crazy sets, the amazing stunts- there's something for everybody. This movie has kind of got it all and I'm very proud of it".

Undead And Design In A Resident Evil World

'I hope this film takes the great environments from the previous films." says Jeremy Bolt, who breaks down the world of Resident Evil into three distinct stages. 'Firstly, it's the desolate Washington D.C, where it's almost as though Alice is the last person left on the planet. The second stage is road movie that sees Alice travels to Raccoon City and she comes up against a mix of characters, Dr. Isaacs, the Umbrella troopers, and various undead. The last act of the film highlights the Sci-Fi element when we're in The Hive, the Umbrella Corporation's secrets facilities."

With The Final Chapter, audiences are in for the most bombastic and polished instalment in the Resident Evil series. From recreating 'the Hive" from the original Resident Evil to filling this post-apocalyptic world. Production Designer, Edward Thomas, stresses that all of his design was inspired by the video game.
Although Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the first film Thomas has worked on in the series, he muses that, 'It wasn't really until I had started looking at the film that I realised how much I have referenced it in the design of many movies in my career.

'The films that had gone before were really great starting points for all the reference and there are a lot of nods to the games in the films, which I was really keen to get across in this film. It was exciting to hear that Paul was going to bring back some of   the old classic sets from the series of films, and it's been inspiring to recreate those."

In Alice's return to Raccoon city and The Hive, Thomas and his team had the challenge of recreating the iconic sets from the 2002 original Resident Evil. The key sets include the hive interior control room, a massive underground the bunker set: the Killing Floor. It's fantastic to create something as dirty and dank as this, and then flip to the crisp and clean look we created in the control room".

In addition, shooting on location in South Africa offered unique locations and opportunities to portray the scope of the post-apocalyptic world. 'We have some massive exterior sets including the Ponte building in Johannesburg, which is a remarkable piece of architecture." The filmmakers found a great space in the abandoned Philippi Cement Factory Site, situated in Cape Town's Nyanga Township, a densely populated area, which required vigilance on the part of the filmmakers.

'Our job is to really make sure we can knit all these places together and that they work, and that the audience believes you when you take them on this journey, that these places are literally next door to each other, when in reality they're thousands of miles away from each other. That's the joy of this film".

Thomas highlights the importance of paying service to the fans when creating this world. 'I think the biggest challenge for me on this film is being true to the fans and true to the game. Having worked on projects like this in the past, I know what it's like when you get fan mail saying. -you did an amazing job there, we recognise this from the game, or from the series''. So I think just being able to be true to that and knowing the fans are going to spot things in the film is without doubt the biggest challenge, making sure it's all there". It would not be a Resident Evil movie without massive hordes of zombies and other undead creatures. The franchise has a reputation for some of the most imaginative and horrifying zombie creations ever brought to screen. Prosthetic Designer, Clinton Aiden-Smith, has raised the bar once again with his state-of-the-art design and creation of over 1500 zombies for the production. As a long-time fan of the video game, Aiden- Smith took more personal pride in his work. 'Growing up, the Resident Evil games kept me up for very long nights, I was intrigued with zombies. Working on this movie was a great opportunity, I think for everybody who grew up with the games, to relive that childhood experience".

  For the final iteration of Resident Evil, Director Paul W.S. Anderson had an updated vision of what these new zombies would look like. Aiden-Smith explains, 'Paul W.S. Anderson wanted a specific type of look for the zombies who had been dead for a while. 'They had to go through the works. As well as being very dusty we tried to create a little bit of something different". In addition to the vanilla zombies is a new swathe of bloodthirsty mutant creatures – latest of which is the 'J'avo" zombie – inspired by the latest Resident Evil videogame. Aiden-Smith describes the process of creating this bizarre creature, 'We had to combine various elements to create this character look. A suit and a prosthetic and dental work, dentures that were quite hectic in a sense as his whole cheek was missing and it had all these rows of teeth. So, there's a great combination of chemistry as well, knowing your products very well, how you can manipulate them for your requirements."

'Paul W.S. Anderson has a very strong stylistic quality, and a very sharp eye so you get a film that not only is gripping but looks terrific." Says Jeremy Bolt.

Mindblowing Action

The Final Chapter will present its audiences with a narrative strand and an approach to the franchise unlike any they have seen before. With the most ambitious stunts ever seen in the history of the franchise, the production team pushed the limits to set the stage for Alice's epic last stand for humanity.

Stunt Coordinator, Grant Hulley says that The Final Chapter will add to the franchise's reputation of mind-blowing action. 'You don't want the next one to be the same as the one before, so we've tried to add more live action and inseminate some of the CGI and visual effects. I think this instalment is grittier and more real."

'We wanted Milla Jovovich's stunts to have an authentic feel and not go overboard. We didn't want her fights to be repetitive so we added specific moves and different elements to it, so it doesn't become just another fight." It was important for the filmmakers to maintain a level of authenticity in the action scenes - whilst still making use of visual effects. 'Computer Generated (CGI) images are grounded in reality and we believe that every shot should be 50% real in camera and then potentially another 50 % will be CGI."   says producer Jeremy Bolt. The use of Visual Effects works to tighten up the delivery of the fantastical experience and action packed sequences that Alice and her comrades' experience.

Alice's Final Struggle

Without contest, one of the strongest assets in the series is its principal actor, Milla Jovovich, now reprising her role as 'Alice" for the sixth and final time. Over the course of the series Alice has faced impossible odds and survived the evil forces of the Umbrella Corporation as the last savior of mankind.

Milla Jovovich and her character have become icons of the action/sci-fi genre. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter bids this character farewell in the most ambitious and spectacular impression yet. Through the film's twists and turns fans will find closure as the narrative returns to the source of the T-virus. 'This has been a really incredible experience filming the last chapter because we get to go back to the beginning, to The Hive, where everything began and see it in a completely different way," says Milla Jovovich adding, 'I know for Paul W.S. Anderson it's been really exciting, because you get to delve much more into the original locations and the original story and go behind all of that. I think it will be really exciting for the fans as well, because they really get to see all the stories, all the questions that the first movie presented we're answering in this one.

Alice has undergone a tumultuous journey since starting the series as an amnesiac in the first film. 'In this movie Alice has pretty much come into herself, and she's really grown in to this strong warrior. I think in so many of the other movies she was looking for herself. In the first one she couldn't remember anything and in the second she's fighting with whatever substance they have injected into her; who is she becoming; is she a monster; is she human, or not? Milla Jovovich continues, 'that is the theme that was carried through the next few movies; Alice fighting Umbrella and what they've done to her medically. Does she have powers? Does she not? How does she control them? She's never been sure about who she is as a person and now I feel she has really become whatever she's become. She's not questioning it and she does not doubt anymore. Her philosophy is, -I am who I am! Go to hell if you don't like it!' I like that about her because I think it's important to be happy with who you are, no matter what.

  To have the confidence and to have that strength is inspiring, and this time she's really found herself."

Family Farewell

Ali Larter, adds, 'We are a family and when you do a movie everyone gets very close and then everyone goes back to their life. Each time we come back together, it feels like no time has passed but this time I have 2 babies, Milla Jovovich is here with her babies. Everyone has just grown up together in that way. It's really incredible for me to be able to talk with her and connect with Milla Jovovich on that level. I love that! We're working Moms and we still can kick ass, which to me is something I'm really proud of. I'm proud of the fact that I'm part of this female driven franchise. Milla Jovovich has been playing Alice for years and has always been that 'go get 'em girl!'. We don't need a man to take care of us, and I think that's something that is more relevant than ever."

Talking about family, Ruby Rose weighs in, 'There is a bit of pressure when you are doing the last film, because it's the last film of Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich who have created this enormous machine really, and to be able to come in and be part of the final chapter is such honour, and you really want to be able to be the best you can be. And so when everyone is so friendly, fun and loving like one big happy family it makes the hard work more pleasurable.

Being an integral part of the making of the entire movie franchise over 15 years has made Resident Evil an intrinsic part of Milla Jovovich's life on a personal as well as working level. 'Through it all I've met my husband, the father of my children, so it's been a family affair. It's sad in that sense because we feel so familiar with this story, with this character; the crew and cast that we have worked with over and over again, it's going to be tough to say goodbye to Alice and the Resident Evil franchise," says Milla Jovovich, adding that for her it's a bittersweet farewell.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Release Date: January 26th, 2017