It’s too late for Milla Jovovich to return to her biggest franchise, Resident Evil – but her next monster movie could launch a new series for her. Jovovich became one of the biggest action stars of the 2000s due to the success of the Resident Evil movies. Despite being based on the bestselling video games of the same name, the films took the story in a very different direction. Jovovich fronted six entries, signing off with 2017’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

The Resident Evil movies grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide (via The Numbers) – despite most of them receiving roundly terrible reviews. There have been two live-action attempts to reboot the property since Jovovich hung up Alice’s zombie-slaying gear; 2021 movie Welcome to Raccoon City and Netflix’s Resident Evil TV series from 2022. Neither effort led to sequels, but Barbarian director Zach Cregger has closed a deal to write and direct a new film reboot that’s expected to arrive in 2026.

The Resident Evil Reboot Means Milla Jovovich Can’t Return To Her Biggest Franchise

Cregger’s Resident Evil will start from scratch

Jovovich’s final Resident Evil was the highest-grossing of the series, proving there was still (un)life in the saga. Unfortunately, many of Jovovich’s follow-up projects haven’t garnered much interest, with her other Capcom video game adaptation, Monster Hunter, failing to recoup its budget in 2020. The Final Chapter may have provided a finale for Alice, but it made sure to leave the door open for her potential return in the future. Jovovich has also expressed interest in a comeback, but Cregger taking over the franchise means that won’t happen.

The new Resident Evil will be a total reboot that has nothing to do with the Jovovich era and will skew toward the horror tone of the original games. Presumably, there is hope Cregger’s film will lead to more sequels, but even if it doesn’t, the reboot will prevent Jovovich from returning as Alice for the foreseeable future.

Franchises can provide a nice security blanket for actors, as they can always return for another sequel if their other projects don’t work out. With the end of Resident Evil and the failure of Monster Hunter, Jovovich hasn’t found her new series yet. In terms of box office, a return as Alice wouldn’t hurt the actor’s profile, but that’s not on the table right now.

World Breaker Could Become Milla Jovovich’s Next Monster Slaying Franchise

World Breaker will find Jovovich monster hunting once again

Jovovich has a few projects on the horizon, including sci-fi epic World Breaker. This involves two parents (Jovovich and Luke Evans) who hide their teenage daughter on an island after creatures from another world breakthrough into Earth. This girl is also being hidden so she can avoid conscription into an all-female army that is tasked with fighting the monsters (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline). It sounds like Billie Boullet’s Willa will be World Breaker’s main character, but Evans and Jovovich will still be playing major supporting parts.

The film is being helmed by Brad Anderson, director of The Machinist, cult classic Session 9 and 2024’s The Silent Hour. It might not be based on any existing property, but it feels like World Breaker has real franchise potential. It’s got a solid hook, a great cast and a talented filmmaker; the sight of Jovovich battling creatures in the trailer won’t hurt its box-office chances either.

ᴀssuming her character lives to fight another day, World Breaker could become Jovovich’s next monster franchise. In this case, it sounds like Milla’s character will be pᴀssing the baton to a new generation, but she could easily feature in multiple sequels if the film is a hit.

Milla Jovovich’s World Breaker Must Break Her Post-Resident Evil Slump

In The Lost Lands bombed hard

Jovovich’s involvement with Resident Evil was a double-edged sword. The films were big hits, but they were also critically reviled and prevented her from appearing in other kinds of projects. There was hope she would find success outside of Alice, but since 2017, Jovovich’s career has been in a slump. Monster Hunter underperformed and her latest project with husband Paul W.S. Anderson, In The Lost Lands, was a true box office disaster. This George R.R. Martin adaptation ended up grossing $3 million worldwide on a budget of $55 million (via The Numbers).

Jovovich’s other credits since The Final Chapter include 2019’s Hellboy reboot and the lambasted sci-fi thriller Breathe. Jovovich has been on a bad run of late, but World Breaker could be the project to break that cycle. If anything, it’s a more exciting option than pumping out another Resident Evil sequel, and there are simply too many cool people attached to World Breaker for it not to be worth a look. Whether that leads to a new franchise is another question entirely.

Source: The Numbers, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Rotten Tomatoes, The Numbers

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  Resident Evil

  “Resident Evil” is a survival horror franchise that originated as a video game series before expanding into films, animated movies, TV shows, comics, and novels. The franchise focuses on the outbreak of a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly virus developed by the Umbrella Corporation, leading to a global apocalypse filled with zombies and other mutated creatures. Known for its tense atmosphere, intricate puzzles, and engaging storylines, “Resident Evil” has become one of the most successful and influential franchises in both gaming and horror entertainment.

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  Milla Jovovich