Overview of “Resident Evil” and the Tightrope of Relaunching Old IP
This episode of The Town uses the new Resident Evil movie as a case study in how a European studio can keep a decades-old IP alive while navigating Hollywood, international financing, and fan expectations. Host Matt Belloni interviews Oliver Berben, CEO of Constantin Film, about how the company secured the Resident Evil rights from Capcom, why Zach Cregger’s fresh take on the franchise stood out, and how the deal was structured with Sony and other partners. The conversation broadens into a look at Constantin’s business model, the changing European media landscape, and the company’s unusual role in Marvel’s Fantastic Four rights history.
Resident Evil: How a German Studio Owns a Global Franchise
Origins of the rights
- Constantin Film acquired the Resident Evil rights from Capcom in the late 1990s after its founder, Bernd Eichinger, wanted to produce films for the U.S. market.
- The first live-action Resident Evil movie arrived in 2002, and the franchise has grown into:
- 8 live-action films
- 4 animated films
- 2 TV series
- a stage play
- novels and comics
Sony’s long-running involvement
- Sony has been a partner since the beginning, handling worldwide distribution outside Germany and France.
- For each new film, Constantin revisits the deal and goes back to Sony first.
Why Zach Cregger’s Version Got Made
A radically different pitch
- Berben says Cregger approached the property with a very specific, fully formed idea.
- His concept was closer to the games than the earlier films:
- moody and atmospheric
- more first-person in feel
- centered on an ordinary character with no special skills
- focused on progression, weapons, and survival, like a player leveling up in a game
- Cregger reportedly had not watched the earlier movies and was drawing directly from the games.
Timing mattered
- Constantin had already decided the franchise needed a break after previous entries underperformed.
- Cregger’s rise after Barbarian and then Weapons increased demand for the project.
- PlayStation joined the script-development process, and Austin Abrams was part of Cregger’s vision from the start.
Marketing followed the creative lead
- Berben emphasizes that this wasn’t a top-down studio assignment.
- The marketing approach was built collaboratively among:
- Cregger and his team
- Constantin’s marketing team
- Sony’s marketing team
- Constantin even contributed the TikTok strategy for the campaign.
How the Financing and Distribution Work
- Constantin and French partner Metropolitan co-finance the film in the territories they control.
- Germany and France are carved out of Sony’s broader worldwide distribution rights.
- Berben explains this as a classic international sales model, except Sony essentially bought the movie for most of the world while Constantin retained key territories.
- This structure is typical of how Constantin does business: IP ownership, territory sales, and local-market strength all feed into each other.
What It Takes to Manage Global IP
Balancing fan expectations and brand control
- Berben says the key challenge is staying faithful to the original Capcom game universe while still making the film feel new.
- He travels to Japan regularly to keep Capcom informed and maintain the relationship.
- The goal is to coordinate films and games so they reinforce each other.
Genre tastes differ by country
- In Germany, horror is less of a mass-market genre than in the U.S., especially when it gets very gory.
- Thrillers travel better than straight gore-heavy horror.
- Comedy, especially American comedy, tends to travel well in Germany.
Constantin Film’s Broader Business Model
A hybrid studio model
- Constantin is both:
- a domestic producer/distributor in Germany and neighboring markets
- an international IP and co-production player
- Berben describes the company as split between:
- domestic/local-language production
- international feature business tied to major IP
- Its core markets include Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where it aims to remain the leading player.
Streaming and TV disruption
- Berben says the old TV model is fading and streaming is now the main driver.
- In Germany, public broadcasters like ZDF remain important, but private TV has weakened.
- He sees streamers such as Netflix and Amazon as essential partners for producers.
- He also notes major consolidation in Europe is likely, following U.S. trends.
Constantin’s Marvel Connection
- Constantin once bought rights to the Fantastic Four universe and the Silver Surfer, including hundreds of related Marvel characters.
- It previously co-produced films with Fox before the Disney acquisition.
- Berben says Constantin still works with Disney/Marvel, though he can’t discuss details.
- He jokes that he’s rooting for Avengers: Doomsday because Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four are tied to those rights.
Final Segment: Practical Magic 2 Box Office Debate
The episode closes with a separate Call Sheet discussion about Practical Magic 2:
- The original Practical Magic became a cult favorite rather than a box-office hit.
- The sequel is tracking around $40 million for opening weekend.
- Matt Belloni and Craig debate whether that number is too high.
- Belloni leans over; Craig leans under.
- They note:
- Sandra Bullock’s return to theatrical starring roles
- Nicole Kidman’s star power
- the film’s likely appeal to women and legacy fans
- Warner Bros. won’t capture the full upside because of the rights/financing structure involving Alcon and Village Roadshow
Main Takeaways
- Old IP can still feel fresh if the creative angle is genuinely different.
- A filmmaker’s passion and specificity can matter more than brand familiarity.
- International studios survive by combining local-market strength with global IP ownership.
- Streaming consolidation is reshaping the European media business just as it did in the U.S.
- Constantin Film remains a rare example of a European studio with meaningful global franchise leverage.