Resident Evil Reboot Release Date Delayed To November

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The release date for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City has been pushed by Sony Pictures to November 24. The reboot of the popular zombie movie series was originally slated for a September 3 arrival. Director Johannes Roberts helms the project.

Considered a complete reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City strays from the six-film franchise which starred Milla Jovovich as Alice. Unlike those movies, the new Resident Evil release is aiming to maintain continuity with the story from the video games. The movie is set to turn the clock back to 1998 and take viewers to Racoon City, where the first zombie outbreak happens. Fans of the long-running game franchise will recognize the characters featured here, including the likes of Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Leon S. Kennedy (Avan Jogia), Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), and Ada Wong (Lily Gao).

Sony's decision to delay Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City will be disappointing to many, as Collider points out the movie will not be in theaters during "Spooky Season." According to THR, Screen Gems announced the reshuffling on Wednesday. The reason behind the delay is most certainly tied to the slow-moving process of reopening theaters nationwide as pandemic restrictions continue to ease. Audiences may be more prone to venture out to the movies over Thanksgiving break, instead of in earlier in the fall.

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Movie release dates have been moving around a lot recently, with Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City being the latest title to get shuffled. The film, which was inspired by John Carpenter's movies, is expected to bring on some late '90s nostalgia for fans of the early games in the series. The extra wait can be understandably frustrating, but it's worth remembering that this proverbial game of musical chairs is for the best interest of audiences and movie studios alike. Adding this three-month buffer will ensure a bigger box office for Sony, and a potentially safer viewing experience for fans.

Late November isn't just the sweet spot for Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City's release. Thanksgiving weekend was recently tapped by San Diego Comic-Con to feature a scaled-down version of its yearly pop culture convention. Whether such an event will be a success is anyone's guess. In fact, SDCC took a defensive stance over this plan.

Sony's decision to move Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City is a smart one, though. There's a pretty good chance that fans of the video game and lovers of the zombie genre alike will be able to find the time to break from spending the holiday week with their loved ones to take a trip back to the Umbrella Corporation's heyday in order to witness the terrifying inception point when all the undead hell breaks loose. Digesting turkey dinner has never been this fun.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City hits theaters on November 24.