Isabela Merced will lead the live-action adaptation of The House Of The Dead from Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson.
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The House Of The Dead is a fast-paced horror shooter arcade game that was originally released back in 1997 by Sega. Five sequels and a number of spin-offs followed, with players needing to fight waves of undead creatures before taking on menacing bosses. Along with Resident Evil, The House Of The Dead is credited with helping reenergise the zombie genre.
A film prequel for The House Of The Dead was released in 2003 and was followed up by a direct-to-DVD sequel that took heavy inspiration from the original game but neither were well-received by fans of the franchise. However a new adaptation has now been confirmed.
Paul W.S Anderson, who worked extensively on the Milla Jovovich Resident Evil movie series, will write and direct the new The House Of The Dead film and Isabela Merced (The Last Of Us, Superman) will star.
Here’s some early concept art for Paul W.S. Anderson’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD starring Isabela Merced.
Anderson teases, “We envisage this as the start of a tentpole franchise which can explore the rich world and lore that SEGA has created over a whole series of films.” pic.twitter.com/4FFoiHEmE7
— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) February 6, 2026
According to Deadline, the film will be inspired by 2002’s The House Of The Dead 3. Set in the near-future after a zombie infestation has decimated the world, the game follows Lisa on a rescue mission to save her father after he disappeared while investigating the source of the apocalypse.
“The House Of The Dead is a game I have loved for many years, and I’m beyond thrilled to be bringing this to the big screen with such an exciting talent as Isabela at its heart,” said Anderson. “We envisage this as the start of a tentpole franchise which can explore the rich world and lore that Sega has created over a whole series of films.”
“Working with Isabela is a thrilling opportunity as she embodies the heroine character perfectly, bringing dynamic energy to the production,” added Sega’s Toru Nakahara. “We’re dedicated to crafting a visually striking and immersive experience by introducing compelling actors and terrifying creatures that will bring The House Of The Dead universe to life on the big screen. With our deep understanding of video game adaptations, we’re eager to deliver an electrifying cinematic journey for the franchise’s fans.”
Merced is set to return to The Last Of Us season three which, according to HBO bosses, will wrap up The Last Of Us story.
In other news, more actors have been confirmed for Amazon Prime Video’s live-action God Of War adaptation.
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