Where Was Netflix’s ‘Resident Evil’ Series Filmed?
The new Resident Evil live-action series has arrived on Netflix, telling a brand new story with (mostly) fresh characters. Fans and critics have so far had mixed feelings about the gory video game adaptation. Still, there’s one thing many viewers can agree on: The show has done a fantastic job with eerie pre- and post-apocalyptic settings. So, where was Netflix’s Resident Evil filmed? Here’s what to know.
Where does Netflix’s ‘Resident Evil’ take place?
The Resident Evil TV series covers two different years: 2022 and 2036. Like the Resident Evil games and other adaptations, the fictional location of Raccoon City, South Africa, is prominently featured. However, this is a newer version of the city, aptly named New Raccoon City. The 2036 timeline also includes other parts of the world, like London and Dover, England.
Resident Evil sees virologist Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick) move to New Raccoon City with his teen daughters, Jade (Tamara Smart) and Billie (Siena Agudong). He works for the Umbrella Corporation to create a new antidepressant called Joy. However, the drug contains the T-virus, a disease formerly used in bioweaponry. The Umbrella Corp. mass produces Joy despite the T-virus side effects, which include becoming a mutated zombie.
Fourteen years later, an older Jade (Ella Balinska) navigates a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monsters. She sets out to find answers about Billie, who went missing. However, while Jade searches for her sister, there are people searching for Jade.
Netflix’s ‘Resident Evil’ series filming locations include South Africa and England
Raccoon City doesn’t exist, but Netflix still filmed many Resident Evil scenes in South Africa — specifically, Cape Town. As Netflix Life notes, many interior scenes were shot at Cape Town Film Studios. Meanwhile, to get that wasteland feel of a post-apocalyptic world, the show filmed on location at abandoned structures like the Werdmuller Center (a shopping mall) and the Maitland Abattoir (a slaughterhouse) in South Africa.
As fans may have noticed, several scenes in Resident Evil take place aboard a ship. Two vessels, Sarah Baartman and S. A. Agulhas, were used for these shots. The former is an environmental protection ship, while the latter was once used for polar research. Resident Evil enlisted a company called Frog Squad, which specializes in water-based filming, for help with these scenes.
Finally, Resident Evil visited London, England, for a few more shooting locations. Viewers can see landmarks like Big Ben and London Underground in some scenes.
How does this ‘Resident Evil’ adaptation connect to the video game franchise?
While Netflix’s Resident Evil is mostly a new story, the video games do serve as a “backstory,” according to showrunner Andrew Dabb. That means that all the events that happened in the games also happened in this Resident Evil universe, and some will even be referenced in Netflix’s show. As for the other Resident Evil films and series, this adaptation doesn’t really have a connection to those.
Resident Evil is now streaming on Netflix.
