Yeah, it was 1997...the guy who plays Luis in RE4 played one of the characters, the Mexican one with the earring, I believe.. Extreme Ghostbusters or Ultimate Ghostbusters or something. You know. One of those "mature" things. Except not really.
EDIT: It would seem that the movie idea was actually based on the cartoon, since 1997 was still 3 years off the start of the new millenium.