Nearly 20 years ago, writer-director Paul W. S. Anderson and star Milla Jovovich teamed up with videogame company Capcom and Constantin Film to produce Resident Evil, based on the bestselling videogame.
Now, the team has reunited for Monster Hunter, based on Capcom’s bestselling video game of all time, Monster Hunter: World.
Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Lt. Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (Tip “T.I.” Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower.
In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters a mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and the Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman). Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.
The game creators and the filmmakers spent hours fine-tuning the minute details of the monsters, right down to eye color and claw nails. Capcom has always given creative input in the adaptions of their games to film, but when it came to monster design, Monster Hunter represented a new level of hands-on involvement. They spent countless time with the filmmakers to ensure that the details of the monsters were true to the game.
The Koalition spoke to Tip “T.I.” Harris about starring in movie adaptation of one of the most popular video games in the world.
“My son is a videogamer, and when I asked him if he knows about a game called ‘Monster Hunter,’ he said I should totally go and do it!”
Hip-hop artist and actor Tip “T.I.” Harris stars as Link, a veteran ranger and Artemis’ right hand. “Artemis and Link have encountered some pretty tough scenarios in their previous tours, and when they face this crisis, their chemistry comes to the fore,” he says.
To play a squad of UN soldiers, the cast went through a rigorous training under the direction of Natalie Mallue, the film’s military advisor.
Harris recalls that the boot camp included “tactical training, how to clear a room, and engage from our positions – it all happened so fast, I called it getting thrown in the blender. They just threw me into the blender of all these different tactical instructions and we all just had to absorb it”
To learn more about Harris’ journey on Monster Hunter check out our full interview in the video above.
Monster Hunter releases in theaters on December 18th.
