Netflix has finally set a date for Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. The highly anticipated anime series will premiere on the streaming service this summer on July 8.
Coinciding with the anime's release date was the official trailer which teases a rather confusing plot that leaves us with more questions than answers. The trailer alludes to some sort of conspiracy cover-up, likely involving a zombie outbreak witnessed during the Penamstan civil war.
Confused yet? Thankfully, there's a super detailed new synopsis that tries to set the stage for the events of the series.
"Six years ago (2000), the helicopter belonging to the U.S. special forces who were intervening in the Penamstan civil war fell from the sky. The U.S. Army Mad Dogs, who were in the same battleground, refused orders from the command center to stand their ground and instead went to save survivors of the crash. However, the special forces were already annihilated. The Mad Dogs, led by their captain Jason, were also forced to escape in order to survive.
However, in that place, Jason and his unit saw the supposedly dead special forces moving in strange ways...
In the present (2006), a hacking incident occurs on a top secret White House file. Four agents, including Leon S. Kennedy and Jason, the “Hero of Penamstan,” are invited to the White House to investigate this incident. However, when the lights suddenly go out, they are forced to take down a horde of mysterious zombies alongside the SWAT team. Afterward, the top secret file is found to be related to a biology laboratory in Shanghai, which Leon and the other three agents decide to investigate for clues. As they head to Shanghai in a cutting-edge submarine, a swarm of rat-like Bio Organic Weapons (B.O.W.) suddenly attacks, pushing them into a life-or-death situation.
Meanwhile, while staying in Penamstan to provide support for refugees, Terra Save staff member Claire Redfield encounters a strange image drawn by a nonverbal boy. Haunted by this drawing, which appears to depict a victim of viral infection, Claire starts her own investigation. She eventually finds a terrifying experiment that was conducted during the Penamstan civil war. Leon and Claire draw closer to an unimaginable truth that all began in Penamstan. They also discover that a terror that can shatter peace is slowly approaching..."
That's a lot to unpack, even for fans of the video game series that Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is based on. There's clearly a lot going on in this series and it'll have to move quickly as there are only four episodes planned. It'll either be fast-paced action as the plot unfolds or you'll just be left confused by the seemingly never-ending twists and turns thrown our way.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is directed by Eiichiro Hasumi, the critically-acclaimed director behind some of Japan's biggest live-action hits. Nick Apostolides and Stephanie Panisello are returning to voice Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, respectively. Both actors previously voiced the characters in 2019's Resident Evil 2 remake.
Look out for Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness when it debuts exclusively on Netflix on July 8, 2021.