Ali Larter had no idea how much her life was about to change. Fourteen months ago she was just excited to be making another studio movie, "Resident Evil: Extinction," after a few years of indies that barely got distributed. And while she would leave to begin production on the first season of "Heroes" in three days time, no one was expecting the series to become the pop-culture phenomenon it has. At the time, Larter was just as grateful for the cool confines of a Mexico City soundstage as she was for the work.

"Luckily you guys are here and not in Mexicali," Larter says to the assembled press. "They say it's the third hottest place in the world. It's the same spot where 'Jarhead' shot, and you're just constantly sweating. I'm hoping it's sweaty-sexy, not sweaty-gross."

Then again, Larter adds, "But, I like that. I'm athletic. I'm a runner. I'm very much into water sports and all different kinds of hiking. So, for me, I love it."

In "Extinction," Larter has traded in her normally blond locks to play redhead Claire Redfield, a character from the popular "Resident Evil" video game who has a different role in the movie franchise. "Extinction" finds Redfield as the leader of a group of postapocalyptic survivors making their way through a vast desert filled with killer zombies and evil birds (really). And while they have Alice (Milla Jovovich) to help protect them, she thankfully can't save everyone.

The "Final Destination" star didn't get to do as many stunts as she'd hoped for here, but there is one memorable skirmish in which Claire's convoy is surprised by a band of zombies while traveling through a barely recognizable Las Vegas. Larter recalls, "We're running and they're chasing me, and they get me down and I fall back, and I come up and like, 'Bam, bam.' I [shoot] them all. That's the fun stuff, when you actually get in there and you get to shoot the guns and it's totally rough and very cool."

The producers kept hinting that a fourth "Resident Evil" was in the works, but even back then, Larter wasn't necessarily going to commit to anything.

"I think that if people go see it, they'll bring me back. If people don't respond to my character, this might be the only one you get with me," Larter says. "[We'll] see where I am in my career if that works."

Considering her newfound success and fame since production wrapped, Larter's asking price clearly won't be the bargain it was the first time around.

"Resident Evil: Extinction" opens nationwide Sept. 21.

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