‘LEONNNNN!’
It was two long years ago that we first wrote about the rumor that Capcom had begun development on a remake of one of its most iconic and beloved releases, Resident Evil 4. On Thursday, we finally got the good word, as Sony’s State of Play presentation gave us the first official unveiling of the survival horror classic’s return. We got to see some new and familiar places, along with some familiar faces.
Very shortly after the teaser trailer’s premiere, model Ella Freya took to social media to excitedly identify herself as the face model for spritely damsel-in-distress, Ashley Graham. Writing on her Twitter, the Dutch native spoke of her incredible pride and excitement in becoming part of the Resident Evil family, noting that she cried with shock and joy when the trailer finally premiered. Freya works as a model on Instagram and Patreon, and is seemingly freelance, so kudos for bagging such a major-league gig.
Freya steps into the knotted sweater of Ms. Graham, daughter of the U.S. President who vanishes into the grim undergrowth of a dilapidated Spanish village. The Secret Service deploys government agent, (and Resident Evil 2 protagonist), Leon S. Kennedy to locate and recover Ashley, beginning what turns out to be a terrifying adventure filled with helpful dogs, ghostly jetskis, and belly-to-belly suplexes.
Ashley Graham has a tongue-in-cheek place in the hearts of Resi fans, renowned for her goofily incompetent nature and insistence on getting into trouble and then screaming for help. I’m in no doubt whatsoever that Resident Evil 4 Remake will likely redress Graham’s personality, hopefully offering her a little more agency and action, rather than confining her to the ladder-dropping tagalong role she is remembered for.
Either way, congrats to Freya for becoming part of Resident Evil history. Watch out for those monks.
Resident Evil 4 Remake launches March 24, 2023 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.
