Netflix's Resident Evil 3D Billboard Is The Scariest, Coolest Thing You'll See Today
In "Back to the Future II," Marty McFly is taken aback by a holographic "Jaws 19" billboard after traveling to the year 2015. Turns out director Robert Zemeckis was ahead of his time and slightly off with when these kinds of advertisements would really start to emerge. 3D billboards, while still relatively rare, are a thing nowadays and Netflix used one to its terrifying advantage to promote the launch of its new live-action "Resident Evil" series.
Based on the iconic video game franchise, the first season of the new "Resident Evil" series spans eight episodes and became available to view on Netflix last Thursday. It's the second TV adaptation, the first one being an animated series. There have also been several "Resident Evil" films, the most recent of which was the 2021 reboot, "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City."
Ahead of Netflix's release of the latest TV series on its streaming platform, the company commissioned a billboard in Times Square that, when viewed from the right angle, looks absolutely terrifying. Check it out...
Resident Evil bursts onto Netflix in 12 hours! Just like this Licker burst out of a NYC billboard! pic.twitter.com/z4SvlJk0Pv
— Netflix (@netflix) July 13, 2022
It shows a Licker (a mutant human born out of a second set of zombie mutations) busting out of captivity by smashing through a glass barrier. The Licker then makes its way around the corner of the digital ad, sticks its long tongue out at passersby, and then scurries off presumably to wreak havoc on New Yorkers unaware of the evil that's just been unleashed.
3D billboards are not entirely new, they're just not super common (compared to 2D billboards, digital or otherwise). They use images recorded from different perspectives and curved displays can create the illusion of 3D. When viewed from certain angles, they look tremendously convincing. Therein lies the caveat, however—the illusion is not equal from all perspectives. Here's an example...
And here's a 3D billboard that debuted last year that Square Enix shared to promote Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (though the actual ad is not related to any DLC or sequels)...
The technology appears to work fairly well for the most part, from what we've seen in videos. We expect to see digital 3D billboards to become more common as time goes on, as they're certainly eye-catching. As for the "Resident Evil" TV series, the first season is available to watch in its entirety on Netflix, though reviews have not been super kind, to say the least—it's sitting at a 50 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an abysmal 25 percent Audience score.
