Resident Evil film uses practical effects and dancers for creature design

The production of the Resident Evil film utilized a hybrid approach of practical effects and digital augmentation to create its creature designs, specifically the “Rat King” and the “Merged Monster.”

To achieve organic, unsettling movement, director Zach Cregger and stunt coordinator Jakub Hudlický employed contemporary dancers and contortionists from Czech companies such as Movement Productions and Cirk La Putyka. These performers were physically rigged together using custom multi-point harness systems and flexible webbing to move as a single, undulating organism. Test footage indicates that using groups of three to four performers allowed for the most fluid and naturalistic movement for these multi-limbed entities.

On-set practical makeup and silicone skin bridges provided physical touchpoints for the creatures, while New Zealand-based visual effects house Wētā FX augmented the live-action performances. Wētā FX used high-resolution 3D scans of the dancers to digitally extend the monsters, adding extra limbs and biological textures to the physical performances.