Isabela Merced, known for her role in The Last of Us, will star in and executive produce a new film adaptation of Sega's 1997 arcade game The House of the Dead. The project is being written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who previously helmed the Resident Evil films. This follows a poorly received 2003 version of the game.
The announcement comes amid a surge in video game adaptations for screen, including a forthcoming Baldur's Gate television series. Isabela Merced takes the lead role in The House of the Dead, a cult horror shooter originally released in 1997. The game, popular in arcades, featured rail-shooter mechanics and innovative fast-moving zombies, set in the secret government agency AMS where agents combat monstrous outbreaks and conspiracies.
Paul W.S. Anderson, recognized for directing the Resident Evil movie series and the 1995 Mortal Kombat film, will write and direct this iteration. Merced, who recently portrayed Hawkgirl in James Gunn's Superman and starred in the sci-fi horror Alien: Romulus, is also slated to return for season 3 of The Last of Us. Her involvement extends to executive producing the film.
A prior adaptation in 2003 drew critical backlash and underperformed commercially. With Merced's rising profile and Anderson's experience in the genre, the new project aims to better capture the game's influential horror elements. Deadline first reported the casting news.
