Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt are bringing Sega’s House of the Dead franchise to the big screen.
Known for adapting games like Resident Evil and Monster Hunter, Anderson will direct and co-write the new movie adaptation of Sega’s 1996 arcade game, which has a strong fan following.
Anderson and Bolt are producing alongside Sega’s Toru Nakahara, and Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg, and Dan Jevons. Production is expected to begin in mid-to-late 2025. Concept art has also been released.
The original House of the Dead game, which debuted as an on-rails shooter, set new standards for zombie games. Its fast-paced action and unique undead, known for running rather than shambling, influenced movies like Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead and World War Z.
Anderson recalls his early days with the game, saying, “I’ve loved the video game since the ’90s… it’s a title I’ve always loved. The IP has grown in strength, and now it’s really cross-generational.”
The movie will focus on House of the Dead 3, centering around Lisa Rogan’s quest to rescue her father, alongside Daniel Curien, a man haunted by his father’s legacy in creating mutant horrors.
“This is a full-on terror ride,” Anderson notes. Unlike Resident Evil, which involved puzzles and traps, House of the Dead is an adrenaline-driven, action-heavy experience. “I’m going to make a movie that mirrors that approach… Everyone’s going to get sucked straight into the action.”
Anderson added, “They have 90 minutes to basically escape the most extreme haunted house you’ve ever been in.”
The setting is an abandoned research lab where the “creatures” have taken over.
These are no ordinary zombies but mutated monsters, some with chainsaws embedded in their limbs.
Jeremy Bolt notes that original game director Takashi Oda insisted they weren’t zombies. “These are more like weaponized mutations,” says Bolt. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics, these creatures “are keenly intelligent… they’re coming from the sides, they’re coming from the back. They’re trying to trick you.”
According to Nakahara, Sega is excited to bring House of the Dead to life, following successes with other adaptations like Sonic the Hedgehog.
Reflecting Sega’s approach to safeguarding its intellectual properties, Nakahara says, “Sega was a little skeptical about getting involved in big Hollywood productions… but working with Paramount on Sonic changed the dynamic.”
It’s also noted that this project marks Sega’s next step in expanding its brand through film.
Source: Deadline
