Netflix have revealed the cast of their live-action Resident Evil series, including Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker.
Not to be confused with the upcoming live action movie, the live action series takes place across two periods of time. In one, 14 year old Jade and Billie Wesker move to New Racoon City; a “manufactured, corporate town” in the Hollywood Reporter’s words. The sisters slowly realize that the town has its apocalyptic secrets, and that their father may be hiding them.
The series also shows events over a decade into the future; where only 15 million people are left alive on Earth as the T-virus has infected 6 billion people and animals. 30 year old Jade now must survive in a world of monsters, as what she is haunted by the truth about her father, sister, and herself.
Variety now report on the cast, starring Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker. Reddick is also known for playing Commander Zavala in Destiny, Sylens in Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, Cedric Daniels in The Wire, and Charon in John Wick.
Reddick is also joined by Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, and Paola Nuñez; though their roles have not currently been revealed. The teaser during Netflix Geeked hinted at Umbrella having uncovered “the solution to suffering,” and that Albert Wesker would be “the engineer of a better tomorrow.” The show will have eight episodes at one hour each.
The studio behind the series is Constantin Film, who produced the previous six live action films. Andrew Dabb will act as writer, exectutive producer, and showrunner; with Mary Leah Sutton also writing and executive producing. Other executive producers include Robert Kulzer and Oliver Berben of Constantin Film, and produced by Constantin Film CEO Martin Moszkowicz.
The casting of Reddick may be eyebrow-raising to some, as Albert Wesker is white while Reddick is black. Netflix had faced backlash previously for casting non-white actors and actresses in white characters in adaptions, or otherwise failing to make them appear as their original counterparts.
This was seen with Netflix’ live-action The Witcher; who’s original books were based on Slavic folklore, casting Anna Shaffer and Anya Chalota as Triss and Yennifer respectively. Producer Andrzej Sapkowski would later defend the show’s inclusivity, and “can the Slavic culture be reduced solely down to skin color? The answer was resounding: god, we hope not.”
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