Celebrity Byte

How important is the gaming audience to you with these films and are there things in the third movie that gamers will get that general audiences might not?

Definitely the Tyrant is a character that anyone who loves the games will recognize. And Welsley is another character that gamers will know. Claire Redfield is somebody that all of the gamers will recognize. We've definitely taken some liberties at this point in the world. We've always used special moments from the game in the films that makes people who love the game feel special when they're watching it. But also the liberties we've taken make them more interesting movies.

Milla poses with a fan at a Helio afterparty while celebrating the Jovovich-Hawk Spring 2007 Collection release. Photo by Jamie McCarthy.

What was the shoot like in Mexico for Resident Evil: Extinction?

Resident Evil: Extinction was one of the most difficult shoots I've ever had. We were really up against the elements, shooting in Mexicali in the desert in July and August when the temperatures were 145 degrees. I was facing sandstorms while being hooked in wires and hanging 45 feet in the air. It was pretty intense. It was so hard on everybody -- heat-wise. Our director ended up passing out from heat exhaustion because he wasn't drinking enough water or using an umbrella and he was running around and not thinking about himself enough. It was a real danger to actually be put in the hospital with the condition we were in.

What were the stunts like?

We had to do so many stunts at this location in the middle of this heat. I was in full costume doing choreographed fight sequences and it was no joke. It was definitely something that I think all of the actors weren't prepared for how difficult it was going to be.

Jeremy Bolt told us this is the last Resident Evil film. How do you feel about hanging up Alice's guns?

Yeah, sheathing her knives. I could never have expected when we finished the first one that there'd even be a second one. The fact that we did a third one is a great honor. Listen, I think being 31, a mother-to-be, and having a potential three-DVD Resident Evil boxed set coming out is pretty cool. I'm really happy about it.

Have you come into contact with many gamers over the years as a result of these movies?

Not so much, but my fiancee is a gamer.

Do you still play games at all?

Not really. I'm definitely more of a book person myself, but I definitely know that our daughter will be playing games. Her Dad will make sure of it. We're not going to be those parents who say, "I don't want my kids playing video games." He'll be like, "Your job will be to play new video games and tell me if they'll make good movies." (Jokingly.) He'll be like, 'You can't go outside and play, you need to play video games inside with no sun and tell Father what games will make good movies."

I think being 31, a mother-to-be, and having a potential three-DVD Resident Evil boxed set coming out is pretty cool. I'm really happy about it.

Milla at HBO's 2007 Golden Globe after party. Photo by Alexandra Wyman.

A lot has changed in the video game movie landscape since Resident Evil came out. What are your thoughts about video games as source materials for films?

I think the fantastical worlds in video games are very visual so I think they're perfect for movies. I think the danger is that if people are doing it just because it's a good business move they can run into problems. Gamers are very sensitive to people that don't really love the games and aren't fans of the games making movies about them. You really have to love the games to make a good movie about it. Part of why Resident Evil movies have been so successful is because everyone involved has been huge fans of the games and wants to be part of this world. I think that's really important. You can't just turn out a movie for the sake of making money.

Many of the video game movies, from Resident Evil to Tomb Raider to Silent Hill, feature strong female leads. What impact have these films had on opening up doors for other actresses?

I think there are so many really amazing female actresses today. A lot of little girls now can see strong role models in movies today. There are a lot of female superheroes in movies and TV shows with women as action leads. It's great that women can play action heroes. It's no longer a requirement that you need to be a man with huge muscles and big guns to be an action hero.