Netflix has set a healthy portion of its live-action “Resident Evil” cast. For starters, Lance Reddick is playing Albert Wesker in the video game adaptation.
The series also added Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph and Paola Nunez. Details about who those actors will be playing are currently being kept under wraps.
The news came amid a flurry of announcements during the final day of Netflix’s “Geeked Week.”
The official logline for “Resident Evil” reads: “Nearly three decades after the discovery of the T-virus, an outbreak reveals the Umbrella Corporation’s dark secrets.” The streamer has given the one-hour show an eight-episode order.
Netflix formally announced its “Resident Evil” series adaptation last August, revealing that “Supernatural” alum Andrew Dabb will serve as executive producer and showrunner on the series.
Based on the “Resident Evil” horror video game franchise from Capcom, the series will center on sisters Jade and Billie Wesker, taking place across two timelines “well over a decade” apart.
Bronwen Hughes will direct and executive produce the first two episodes, with Robert Kulzer and Oliver Berben of Constantin Film and Mary Leah Sutton also serving as executive producers. Constantin Film CEO Martin Moszkowicz is a producer.
The German company Constantin Film previously found success adapting the “Resident Evil” franchise for the big screen with a six-film series starring Milla Jovovich. “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter,” was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and grossed $312 million at the worldwide box office upon its 2017 release. In total, the series earned more than $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the most successful movie franchise based on a video game.
Reddick is best known for his starring roles in shows like “The Wire,” “Fringe” and “Bosch,” and on the feature side, he’s known for the “John Wick” movies. Reddick is the first actor of color to portray Albert Wesker in the “Resident Evil” franchise.