From 'Naked Gun' to Necrotizing Fungus: Liam Neeson's New Flick Sounds Like Your Next Co-op Horror Session Gone Hilariously Wrong
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Liam Neeson and "Stranger Things" star Joe Keery are heading up a new horror-comedy film called *Cold Storage*, which sounds an awful lot like a chuckle-filled, unofficial *Resident Evil* adaptation, complete with mutating fungus and secret facilities. It's got major gaming vibes, a seasoned blockbuster writer, and the chaotic promise of a genuine laugh alongside the scares.
Right, so picture this: you're knee-deep in a particularly gnarly co-op horror game, the kind where the sound design makes you jump out of your skin every ten minutes, and then suddenly, someone cracks a joke about the giant mutated monster chasing you. It's either genius or utter chaos, isn't it? Well, buckle up, mates, because a new film just dropped a trailer that sounds like it's trying to bottle that exact energy. We're talking Liam Neeson, a "Stranger Things" star, and a plot that screams "Someone’s been playing way too much *Resident Evil* before bed."
The flick in question is called *Cold Storage*, and if you're anything like me, your ears probably perked up the moment you heard "Liam Neeson goes from crime comedy to horror comedy." Our man Neeson, fresh off channeling his inner bumbling detective in the *Naked Gun* revival (which, fair play, was a curveball none of us saw coming), is apparently diving headfirst into a world of bioterror, mutating fungus, and, yes, plenty of laughs. He's playing some grizzled operative – naturally – joining forces with Joe Keery (our beloved Steve Harrington from *Stranger Things*) and Georgina Campbell (*Barbarian* fame) to contain, and then presumably survive, a zombie-like fungal outbreak trapped in a top-secret facility. Sound familiar? It should, because as soon as I saw the synopsis, my brain immediately pinged: "Hello, *Resident Evil*?"
Honestly, it's uncanny, isn't it? The secret facility, the bio-hazard gone wrong, the mutating horrors – it's practically a live-action version of Umbrella Corporation's Tuesday morning meeting, only with more witty banter. For years, we gamers have been subjected to film adaptations of our beloved franchises that sometimes, bless 'em, just don't quite *get* it. They miss the core loop, the character nuances, the sheer terror or joy that defines the game. But then something like *Cold Storage* pops up, and it's like Hollywood's finally figured out that maybe, just maybe, they can crib notes from the best game narratives without having to buy the IP.
It’s not just *Resident Evil* vibes either. That "mutating, zombie-like fungus" bit immediately conjures images of *The Last of Us*, doesn't it? We've already seen that particular flavour of fungal apocalypse nail its landing as a TV series, proving that game-inspired horror can translate brilliantly. So, if *Cold Storage* is borrowing from *RE*'s corporate bio-doom and *TLOU*'s gnarly fungal nasties, but then slathering it with a thick coat of dark comedy, well, that's an experiment I'm genuinely curious about. It’s like someone took the best parts of our favourite horror games, threw them into a blender with a dash of physical comedy, and hit "puree." What happens if you add slapstick to a Tyrant chase? We might just find out.
Now, the comedy aspect is where things get really interesting, and potentially, gloriously chaotic. Neeson isn’t exactly known for his laugh-a-minute roles, unless you count the accidental hilarity of some of his "particular set of skills" lines. But coming off *Naked Gun*, it seems he's genuinely leaning into this new comedic phase. It’s a risky move, mind you. Horror-comedy is a delicate beast. For every *Evil Dead 2* or *Shaun of the Dead* that nails the balance of scares and guffaws, there are a dozen others that fall flat on their face like a badly aimed headshot. The trailer apparently promises *Scanners*-esque head explosions, *Return of the Living Dead*-style blood and slime, all wrapped up in a package that "knows not to take itself too seriously." This sounds like the kind of game you play with your mates late at night, screaming and laughing in equal measure.
And who's behind this madcap venture? Jonny Campbell is directing, but the screenplay was penned by David Koepp, who also wrote the original 2019 novel. Now, Koepp is a name that should make any gamer’s ears prick up. This is the bloke who wrote *Jurassic Park*, *The Lost World*, *War of the Worlds*, and even *Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull* (alright, we’ll gloss over that last one, eh?). He knows blockbuster mechanics. He understands how to build tension, how to craft a thrilling chase, and how to introduce larger-than-life threats. That he's now applying his talents to a horror-comedy that borrows so heavily from gaming tropes is, quite frankly, fascinating. It speaks to a broader trend, doesn't it? Gaming narratives are no longer just for games. They’re permeating cinema, TV, books – hell, probably even our breakfast cereal boxes soon enough. It’s a sign of gaming’s ever-growing cultural footprint.
So, what does this mean for us, the curious gamers always on the hunt for something genuinely fresh? Will *Cold Storage* be the unexpected gem that scratches our itch for a good, chaotic, game-inspired horror-comedy? Or will it be another one of those attempts that just… misses? I'm cautiously optimistic, leaning into that Jeff-esque "optimistically chaotic" vibe. There's always a part of me that looks at these genre mash-ups with a healthy dose of skepticism, especially when they promise "not to take themselves too seriously" – often a red flag that they're not taking *anything* seriously, including the quality. But the confluence of talent, the blatant gaming inspiration, and the sheer audacity of it all… it's got my attention. It’s like finding a glitch in the matrix that somehow *improves* the game.
Could this film be a delightful meta-commentary on the horror genre, or even a cheeky nod to our beloved (and often ridiculous) gaming narratives? We’ve seen game logic bleed into movies before, sometimes awkwardly, sometimes brilliantly. This one feels like it’s leaning into the absurdity from the get-go. If it can deliver on its promise of a genuine laugh with genuine scares, it might just become the unofficial *Resident Evil* comedy we never knew we needed.
It's set to infect theaters sometime in 2026, which feels like an eternity away. Plenty of time for that fungus to truly mature, I reckon. But for now, it's just another intriguing signpost on the road of gaming's ever-expanding influence on wider entertainment. What do you reckon, mates? Is this the kind of "game movie" you're actually looking forward to, even if it's not based on an actual game? Or are you just waiting for the next *RE* remake to truly satisfy that bio-hazard craving?
Tags: Gaming News, Horror Comedy, Film Adaptation, Resident Evil, Pop Culture
Original article: Polygon