Hollywood has a long history of linking actors to specific film genres or franchises, turning them into the very embodiment of those cinematic worlds. Vin Diesel, for example, has become nearly synonymous with the Fast & Furious franchise. On the superhero front, Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America helped define the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s tone and public identity for a generation of moviegoers. 

One young actress now building a similarly distinctive footprint but in a diverse set of genre arenas, rather than a single franchise, is Isabela Merced. Her career trajectory has taken her through several of today’s most prominent pop culture universes: post-apocalyptic genre, superhero epics, horror, and now video game adaptations. 

Deadline confirmed that Isabela Merced is set to lead the live-action movie adaptation of Sega’s classic video game franchise The House of the Dead, a property long associated with rail shooters and zombie mayhem in arcades. The film will be written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, best known for his work on the Resident Evil film series. Merced is also attached as an executive producer, as per Deadline. 

“Working with Isabela is a thrilling opportunity as she embodies the heroine character perfectly, bringing dynamic energy to the production...” Sega's Toru Nakahara told Deadline. 

Merced’s current slate shows how her career is building momentum across genres rather than within one narrow category. She recently appeared as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl in the Superman (2025) film, a project that grossed over $600 million worldwide and is part of the newly rebooted DC Universe. She also starred in season two of HBO’s acclaimed The Last of Us, as Dina, a role rooted in one of the most successful video game adaptations on television. 

Beyond that, Merced appeared in the 2024 sci-fi horror film Alien: Romulus, part of the long-running Alien franchise, and has credits in films ranging from the live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold to Turtles All the Way Down.

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But what does The House of the Dead actually look like as a modern movie and how far can it go?

So far, story details are being kept tightly under wraps. What is known is the franchise’s deep history, the first House of the Dead game launched in 1997 and became a defining arcade-era horror title. Rocket Science will launch international sales at the European Film Market, where the project is already being positioned as a hot prospect. 

Paul W. S. Anderson will produce alongside longtime collaborator Jeremy Bolt, Sega’s Toru Nakahara (Sonic the Hedgehog), and Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson (Tomb Raider), Michael Lawrence Goldberg, and Timothy I. Stevenson. The film is described as a “top Sega priority,” aiming for an immersive, real-time story with a fresh take on the franchise.

If successful, this could further define Merced as the face of a new era of video game cinema. 

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What kind of adaptation do you want The House of the Dead to be? Share your thoughts.