Fans of superheroes, cinema, and gaming are having a time right now, as those worlds are colliding in several high-profile projects that have been released in late sumer/early fall. That includes Insomniac’s new Marvel’s Wolverinevideo game, which is already becoming a major pop-cultural lightning rod. On the big screen, horror maestro Zach Cregger (Weapons) has crafted a new kind of Resident Evil movie that is a hit with fans and critics, and blowing box office records away. Television is currently ruled by HBO’s Lanterns, which has successfully turned fantastical DC superhero lore about Green Lantern into a grounded detective show.
Videos by ComicBook.com
It’s ironic to see both Lanternsand Resident Evildoing well right now. Both projects represent a new kind of era in Hollywood that has been slowly but surely emerging over the last few years. It’s a trend that seems to be really hitting its stride, although a lot of fans still seem to be struggling with it. But it’s time for that to stop.
Creator-Driven Visions Are The Way For Franchise IP to Thrive Again
The Resident Evilfilm franchise began in 2000 with a series of films by Paul W.S. Anderson, which ran until 2017. The Green Lantern franchise also took a swing at blockbuster glory in that time, via Martin Campbell’s 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds. However, even with the (limited) financial success of those films, fans heavily criticized them for not being quality adaptations or very entertaining films. After two films, Resident Evil quickly became a series of generic zombie-horror action blockbusters, which barely resembled the games. On the other hand, Green Lanterntried to stick closer to the source material, but had no deeper subtext or dramatic arc other than aping the comics. But all that is changing now with these 2026 versions of both franchises. And the key difference is the creators behind them. A generation of kids who first experienced these characters or IPs as fans has now grown up, and they approach adapting these works with an intimate reverence that didn’t exist in Hollywood culture before.
Zach Cregger tried to make it clear to gamers early on that he was a major fan of Resident Evilgames – to the point that a single minor detail of the games – a random found note – sparked his imagination, eventually inspiring this hit film about a medical courier bringing an all-important item to some Raccoon City scientists. However, before the film was ever released, Cregger had to endure a severe amount of backlash from the Resident Evilgamer community, who felt like the premise and angle Cregger had chosen (notto include iconic characters or plotlines from the games) automatically invalidated the project.
That concern now not only looks misplaced but unwise. Cregger was both a true fan of the games and a proven wizkid of horror movie-making; now the overwhelming consensus is that he had the right idea for how to approach a gaming adaptation. Aside from a pitch-perfect balance of horror and comedy, Cregger captured the essence of playing the games (including some nice Easter eggs and stylistic references). More importantly, he made his protagonist, Bryan (Austin Abrams), a perfect stand-in for a gamer who is playing Resident Evilfor the first time and must go through the progression of learning, leveling up, and (of course), surviving increasingly challenging boss battles.
Lanternswas created by three big talents: Lostco-creator Damon Lindelof, Ozarkcreator Chris Mundy, and award-winning comic writer Tom King (Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). Both Lindelof and (obviously) King are professed lifelong comic fans; Lindelof already made an Emmy-dominating DC adaptation with his HBO Watchmenminiseries (2019), while King has won awards and created modern classics with series like Mister Miracle, The Vision, Batman, Swamp Thing,and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.Add Mundy, who created one of the best modern crime-drama shows with Ozark,and you get a balance of deep comic lore and storytelling and top-notch televised drama, mystery, and thrills. The series has also pulled off the feat of weaving its unique vision into the larger DC Universe franchise, which includes a much more colorful and family-friendly character like Superman.
In both cases – with Cregger and the trio behind Lanterns – what we’re now seeing is a pattern of creators who truly connected with these franchises as fans, taking the reins. They have the confidence to craft their unique visions of those IPs; their experience and knowledge as fans allow them to keep core elements intact, while their creativity shapes new and unexpected versions of the franchise that are both novel to diehard fans and intriguing to casual viewers. And it is working wonders.
Aside from the streak we’re on with Lanternsand Resident Evilright now, this strategy has been working for other franchises as well in the last few years. Dan Trachtenberg went from being a Predator(1987) fanboy to revitalizing that entire stalled franchise into a shared universe that is thriving across movie theaters and streaming. Trachtenberg has even thrown in ties to the Alienfranchise, which has also seen a former fan-turned-filmmaker (Fede Álvarez) dip back in and take the reins with Alien: Romulus,a film that has brought whole new generations of fans to the Alienfilms, and the first spinoff TV series, Alien: Earth.
Fans Need to Take Notice (& Give More Grace)
Why does this all need pointing out? Because fans need to recognize the changing of the guard that has occurred, so that as we move forward, when creators step up to the plate with a personal passion for the property and a wild idea of how to adapt it originally, fans should be excited, or at the very least curious to see what comes of it. Slamming the idea before it gets to the screen needs to end – especially since the naysayers tend to fall silent once the project is successful.
Resident Evilis now playing in theaters. Lanternsis airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.
Resident Evil’s Success May Have Just Inspired Another Video Game Movie Reboot (After Its Latest Film Bombed This Year)
More Movies
-
IMAGE COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES. Movies
7 hours agoResident Evil’s Success May Have Just Inspired Another Video Game Movie Reboot (After Its Latest Film Bombed This Year)
-
IMAGE COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. Movies
7 hours agoMan of Tomorrow Will Be a Lex Luthor Story According to DCU Star
-
TV Shows
8 hours agoHayden Panettiere Cause of Death Officially Confirmed
-
The Four Hobbits Of The Fellowship Sharing A Toast Movies
11 hours agoWhat Is Hobbit Day? Why Lord Of The Rings Fans Worldwide Celebrate On September 22nd
-
Movies
12 hours agoSequel to 2014’s Biggest Horror Movie Just Got a Massive Update 12 Years Later
-
Marvel
12 hours agoMarvel Greenlights Spy Thriller Series, And the Codename Might Reveal an Answer to Suicide Squad
-
Movies
14 hours ago1 Deleted Scene From The Avengers Would Have Been Perfect Set-Up for Another MCU Movie, But It Had to Go
