The series of RESIDENT EVIL movies shepherded by writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich (who happens to be married to Anderson) recently reached its FINAL CHAPTER, and while production company Constantin Films is already planning to reboot the RESIDENT EVIL franchise with a "fresh, different approach" (possibly as a TV show), they're also working with Anderson and Jovovich on another video game adaptation.
Anderson will be directing MONSTER HUNTER for Constantin, with Jovovich set to star in the film.
Capcom has released fourteen Monster Hunter games over the last fourteen years. The most recent installment in the series, Monster Hunter: World, is the best-selling game in the company's history, with almost 8 million copies having sold since its January release.
An action fantasy series, the games put players in the role of
a Hunter, slaying or trapping large monsters across various landscapes as part of quests given to them by the locals. As part of its core gameplay loop, players use loot gained from slaying monsters, gathering resources, and quest rewards to craft improved weapons, armor, and other items that allows them to face more powerful monsters.
Anderson has written the screenplay adaptation. His MONSTER HUNTER film is intended to be the first entry in a franchise, of course, and Constantin's Martin Moszkowicz has said that it will be "highly stylish".
Paul has proven over and over he does stylish movies. It’s one of his big strong points. He can make a movie look good, is very much into visuals."
Toronto-based, Technicolor-owned company Mr. X, which worked on the RESIDENT EVIL films, will be providing the special effects. Mr. X CEO Dennis Berardi is also producing the film alongside Jeremy Bolt.
I had never heard of MONSTER HUNTER before the adaptation announcement, but after seeing what became of the RESIDENT EVIL films under Anderson's control I can't say that I have high hopes for this video game movie.
With a budget of around $60 million, MONSTER HUNTER is set to begin filming in the Cape Town, South Africa area this September.