Sega's Next House Of The Dead Adaptation Gets Major Filming Update From Director

Paul W.S. Anderson provides a new update on the state of the next House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ movie adaptation. Anderson is best known for his sci-fi horror cult-classics Event Horizon and Alien vs. Predator, but also brought both Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil movies to the big screen, the latter of which spawned a series that spanned from 2002 to 2016. The House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ franchise was developed by Sega as an arcade light-gun shooter that threw players into a mansion full of experimental unᴅᴇᴀᴅ nightmares.

As Anderson promoted his latest feature In The Lost Lands, the director opened up to Variety about his upcoming adaptation of The House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, one when production will begin on the feature. Anderson reported that the script is within its final stages and set to begin filming towards the end of the year, with the director hoping to take the franchise in a direction unlike any other franchise he has brought to screen. Check out Anderson’s full response below:

The script is almost done. We’re aiming to shoot in the fourth quarter of this year. I’m really going to push the envelope on this one. It’s going to be something different for me.

What Anderson’s Response Means For His House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Movie

The Feature Will Step Out Of The Shadows Of Anderson’s Last Unᴅᴇᴀᴅ Nightmare

While insight into the state of House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ‘s production is a welcome update, Anderson’s promise of a feature unlike anything he has made may also prove important to many. With his Resident Evil adaptations, the director has already helmed a video game adaptation focused on an unᴅᴇᴀᴅ outbreak on a remote estate, meaning many may have certain preconceptions about what to expect. As such, him acknowledging a clear distinction is a promising update.

Resident Evil and House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ are very distinct тιтles, despite sharing certain concepts and elements. While later installments would become more action-oriented, the priority of Resident Evil has been to unnerve players and push them to be careful. Meanwhile, House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is a full-on action affair focused on killing zombies in the best ways possible. As such, Anderson’s statement can be read as the director acknowledging that he will remain faithful to what made the game unique.

Our Thoughts On Anderson’s House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Movie

The Director Has Already Proven Himself

Test Subject zombies lunging toward the camera in House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ movie remake concept art

While not the only adaptation of The House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ franchise thanks to Uwe Boll’s 2003 movie, it can be argued that Anderson helming the upcoming adaptation is an incredibly promising sign. Anderson’s Resident Evil adaptations are divisive thanks to their divergences from the video game franchise’s lore and following impact on the games themselves throughout the early 2010s, but their tone is surprisingly close to that of the House of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ franchise. As such, Anderson could be a perfect choice to capture the bombastic action and camp of the iconic light-gun shooter game.

Source: Variety