Capcom has officially confirmed that the Monster Hunter movie adaptation is slated for production. The video game developer revealed that it had sanctioned the rumored flick in an official statement on Friday, and offered a synopsis on what fans can expect from the movie.
“The film will depict two protagonists who come from different worlds and must cooperate in fighting monsters in order to survive,” the press release read. “It is being produced by Constantin Films, and has Paul W. S. Anderson, known for the series of Resident Evil films based on Capcom’s games, on as both writer and director. Toho will distribute the film in Japan.”
Speaking after finally confirming the movie’s existence, Monster Hunter series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto expressed his delight at being able to talk about it openly.
“After living and breathing in the universe of Monster Hunter for 14 years we are thrilled with enormous anticipation to see our creations adapted for a theatrical release,” he told Variety. “Monster Hunter’s fan base has exploded over the past year with the runaway success of the game ‘Monster Hunter: World.’ It is our hope long-time fans and new alike will join us on this exciting exploration of the Monster Hunter universe.”
The Hollywood Reporter also exclusively revealed that a new cast member had been confirmed to appear in the film. Mexican actor Diego Boneta has signed on to appear alongside Milla Jovovich, Ron Perlman, and T.I. Harris. Boneta, who played the role of iconic Latin singer Luis Miguel in Netflix’s adaptation of his life, will play a communications specialist as part of the Monster Hunter team.
THR also offered up more on what the plot entails. Jovovich’s character, Artemis, leads a UN military team, but is transported to another realm with the iconic Monster Hunter creatures in it. There, she meets the Hunter, played by Tony Jaa, and the duo must work together to close a portal that could send the monsters to Earth.
The Monster Hunter movie has added two more famous faces to its all-star cast. Actor Ron Perlman and hip-hop artist T.I. Harris have signed on to join Milla Jovovich in the adaptation of Capcom’s beloved video game franchise. The film will be directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who worked on another video game movie franchise in Resident Evil.
Perlman and Harris’ inclusion in the film was made public by the Hollywood Reporter. The article reveals that Perlman has been cast as Admiral, the leader of the Hunters’ crew, while Harris will take up the role of a sniper called Link. Jovovich will star as a character known as Artemis, but it is not yet known what her actual role in will be.
Perlman is famous for his film portrayal of comic book character Hellboy in its first flick and sequel Hellboy: The Golden Army. He has also starred in Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, and as Clayface in Batman: The Animated Series. Perlman had been tipped to play Cable in Deadpool 2, but eventually lost out to Josh Brolin.
Harris, meanwhile, has appeared in notable flicks such as Ant-Man, Get Hard, and House of Lies. He has released nine albums over the past 17 years, and is also known to have signed a talent holding deal with Warner Bros. Television to appear in his own reality show on VH1 called T.I & Tiny: The Family Hustle.
Anderson, who is married to Jovovich and worked with her on the Resident Evil series, is also producing the movie alongside Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer. Sony will distribute the film to international audiences, with the US release being handled by Screen Gems. The Monster Hunter movie has a budget of around $60m, and is expected to start filming in South Africa in October. No official release date has been made public yet.
