Those Resident Evil storyboards making the rounds online weren’t generated by AI. According to the artist who actually drew them, they were made the old-fashioned way, by hand.
Storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins has responded to claims that AI was used during the development of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie after artwork from the production surfaced online and caught the attention of fans.
Wilkins shared a selection of his early storyboard drawings and made their origin very clear: “A small sampling of the storyboard work I did with Zach for Resident Evil. Not an ounce of AI here- all hand-drawn!,”
The speculation started after several Resident Evil storyboards appeared online. Some viewers unfamiliar with the loose, fast-moving style commonly used for storyboard artwork suspected the images had been created with generative AI.
Wilkins’ response puts that claim to rest, at least when it comes to the artwork he created for the film. The controversy arrives as Cregger’s Resident Evil has been enjoying a killer reception. The movie currently has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned $100 million internationally during its opening weekend.
The film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier sent to deliver a package to Raccoon City General Hospital during his final job of the night. Unfortunately, Bryan heads into the city without realizing that a full-blown zombie apocalypse has erupted.
Cregger has repeatedly shown that his approach comes from his love of the games. He’s an avid gamer himself and has pulled ideas and inspiration from across the Resident Evil franchise instead of simply recreating a story fans have already played.
The result has clearly connected with audiences, and the critical response has been just as strong. Taking the Resident Evil mythology and telling a new story within it was always going to invite some debate.
At least one question surrounding the production can now be buried: Not an ounce of AI was used in the creation of the storyboards.
