House Of The Dead's First Movie Was A Total Flop, But I Feel Much Better About This Second Attempt

Another entry is added to the list of upcoming video game adaptations, and I have to admit, it's one I'm surprised to see. After Ewe Boll's disastrous adaptation of House of the Dead flopped back in the early 2000s, I didn't imagine any company would want to revive it. I'm happy to hear, however, that a new movie is on the way, and it has some promising talent attached.

Two decades after one of the worst video game movies of all time was released, Deadline has the news that a new House of the Dead adaptation is on the way. What's more, it's coming from a director who has some experience in the undead genre and has made some of the more noteworthy Resident Evil movies.

House Of The Dead Is Coming Back With Paul W.S. Anderson Set To Direct

Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed the original, fourth, fifth and sixth Resident Evil movies, will now take a crack at House of the Dead. The game franchise remains a cult classic in the horror genre, with some crediting it as popularizing the trend of "running zombies" in more modern movies that came after its release. The game itself was a rail-shooter that featured frantic gameplay, with zombies frequently lunging or running at the screen.

Anderson will give House of the Dead a chance at redemption in terms of a feature, though he too has had past struggles adapting video games. More recently, his take on Monster Hunter didn't perform quite on the level its fans would've liked, but I'd prefer to think of that as a learning experience leading up to this upcoming feature.

Isabela Merced Will Lead In The Zombie Adaption

Another bit of bright news is that the movie has secured actress Isabela Merced as the lead in House of the Dead. Readers may remember her as Hawkgirl in Superman or her beloved role as Dina on The Last of Us. It's safe to say with the latter role, she knows a bit about roles where one has to take on the undead.

Beyond a star to lead it, the best thing House of the Dead has going for it is the low bar set by the first movie. The movie sits at a current 3% critical rating and 11% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes. As previously mentioned, it's ranked among the worst video game adaptations of all time.

Of course, one would hope that in this age where video game movies are grossing a $1 billion+ dollars at the box office, the goal is to have House of the Dead be much better than the first movie. Unfortunately, it's going to be hard to clear more recent offerings like 28 Years Later, but I still think there's a space for this film to exist and still offer something of value to the horror and video game genre as a whole.

I'm eager for more updates on House of the Dead, and hoping we get a true homage to the original game that I loved so much. Bonus points if the 4DX experience feels like I'm playing the arcade rail-shooter, though I won't get my hopes up.