Alternate versions

The version that airs on U.S. television is edited for time. Completely removed from the film is the scene with Milla fighting the dogs.

Between 2002 and 2003 there was a VHS of work-in-progress (also known as "workprint") version of the film making rounds, the same which was shown at test screenings of the film, titled Resident Evil: Genesis, which is also the title of novelization of the film. It was the full uncut version of the film with extended and additional scenes, and more gore, violence and nudity which in the final product was cut for R rating, including full sex scene between Alice and Spence and more graphic nudity from her in opening bathroom scene and hospital scene in the ending.

The U.S. release had some violence censored to avoid an "NC-17" rating.

Paul W.S. Anderson has indicated in various interviews that an "uncut version" with several minutes of extra footage, including gorier scenes and more character development, will be released in the future as a possible DVD release.

In the TV spot, Red Queen's line "I've been a bad little girl" is pronounced by the hologram, but in the movie it is heard from the intercom

The scene where Alice kills Lisa was cut to remove a close up of the paperweight hitting her head.

The Russian version of the film differs slightly from the one released in U.S. There are a few extra shots of the train, and the scene with Alice and Matt after she kills his zombiefied sister is extended with a short line from Matt, where he explains that he is an internationally wanted criminal.

Special Edition DVD includes an alternate ending, which plays six months after the incident at Racoon City. Here Alice wears a Matrix-like costume and goes to the Umbrella Corporation headquarters to search for Matt. You see her going in and one of the guards asks what he can do for her. Before she can answer the security systems identify her and all guards draw their weapons. She consequently draws her own, the camera moves closer and you hear a shot. Then you see a close-up of her closing eye.

Some European cinema prints used a slightly longer edit of the security laser-massacre, but this was not included in video releases.