Netflix's live-action adaptation of Capcom's Resident Evil barely scratches the surface of the video game franchise's original lore, leaving enough room for Season 2. The first season's eight episodes give viewers a terrifying look at the survival horror's post-apocalyptic world while giving us a clear picture of its scalability in the future.
The show is still topping Netflix's global Top 10 charts, and the popularity of the franchise most-likely played a role in drawing in a huge amount of views, but will Netflix renew the show? After all, the demand for zombie shows is high, with the likes of All of Us Are Dead getting renewed for Season 2.
Check out everything we know so far about the potential new season of Netflix's Resident Evil:
Is Resident Evil Season 2 coming to Netflix?
Update: On Aug. 26, Deadline reported that Netflix has cancelled the Resident Evil series.
Showrunner Andrew Dabb hopes that Resident Evil will be sticking around for a long time, but how long?.“The last show I worked on went 15 seasons, so I think this one has to go 16,” jokes Dabb during an interview with Den of Geek.
“We have original ideas, but there are also legacy characters that we want to bring into our show,” Dabb said. “Season 1 is about, okay, let’s set everything up. Here are these new characters, and hopefully everybody likes and enjoys them. Now, what happens when they meet ‘Character X’ from the games? There’s a lot of really fun stuff to explore, and my hope is that the show runs for a really long time.”
When is Resident Evil Season 2 coming to Netflix?
The first season of Resident Evil started in February 2021 and wrapped up around July of the same year, according to KFTV. That's almost a year after the completion of its principal photography, so based on this, if Netflix renews the show within a few months, Resident Evil Season 2 could release sometime toward the end of 2023.
However, Netflix has cancelled the show already, so don't expect a release date.
What could Resident Evil Season 2's story be about?
Warning: Spoilers from Resident Evil Season 1 ahead.
The end of Resident Evil Season 1 ended with several cliffhangers. In 2022, Jade and Billie leave New Raccoon City with Bert. Jade has Ada Wong's name and address, so it's likely that she will be traveling to Japan if Season 2 is confirmed. However, it's still unclear if Billie will go with her. Based on how things are between the two in 2036, it doesn't seem likely. It also appears that Evelyn's secret project has escaped, likely causing the eventual virus outbreak.
Speaking to TV Line, Dabb teased more elements from the video games coming into play as the story continues, saying, “I will say that the deeper we get into it, the more story we’re finding as we bring in more elements from the games and expand these worlds and these characters.”
He went on to say:
“We made the choice [in Season 1] to just touch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the game lore. If we’re lucky enough to go into Season 2 and beyond, you’ll start to see a lot more game elements coming into the show.”
“In the 2022 storyline, we know where Chris [Redfield] is, for example,” Dabb told Den of Geek. “But in the 2036 storyline, if you’re talking about a Claire Redfield or a Jill Valentine, the thing they were fighting against—a global apocalypse—happened. Now they’re in their 50s, essentially living their nightmare. What does that look like for them?”
“We have a larger story with a beginning, middle, and end,” said Dabb of the show's plan if it's renewed. “If we’re fortunate enough to go ahead with season 2 and beyond, we’re well-armed. Let’s put it that way.”
Speaking to Polygon, Dabb said that he wanted to bring Lady Dimitrescu, the villain of Resident Evil Village, in a future season: "Over the course of the series, I want to bring everything in," Dabb said "Left to my own devices, I want Lady D, I want the plant monster, I want it all. I want everything, but judiciously (and) responsibly over time."
Is there already a trailer for Resident Evil Season 2?
Since the first season of Resident Evil just arrived on Netflix, and that the survival-horror series hasn't been renewed yet, don't expect a trailer for Season 2 to come out anytime soon.
You can re-watch the trailer for Season 1 below: