Zach Cregger's Resident Evil has stormed past early fan backlash to collect an estimated $108.3 million globally in its opening weekend, delivering the best debut in the history of the film franchise and the biggest opening of the director's career. The horror-comedy hybrid pulled in $60 million domestically and $48.3 million internationally, according to studio estimates.
The result far exceeded industry projections, which had most analysts expecting a domestic opening in the $40 million to $50 million range. The strong performance cements Cregger's standing as one of the most bankable voices in modern horror, following his breakout work on Barbarian, which opened to $10 million, and last year's Weapons, which debuted to a still-impressive $70 million.
Starring Austin Abrams as an original character named Bryan who is thrust into the darkest pits of a suffering Raccoon City, the film also features appearances from Zach Cherry of Severance, Kali Reis of True Detective: Night Country, and Paul Walter Hauser of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Sony spent approximately $75 million to produce the movie, according to Variety, though marketing costs remain unclear. Even so, the opening weekend points to a strong start for the franchise's return to theaters.
The road to release was hardly smooth. Since the first trailers arrived earlier this year, some fans struggled to accept an adaptation that largely leaves behind familiar icons like Leon S. Kennedy and the T-Virus. A more modern setting and a snowy Raccoon City drew concern from purists, while other vocal viewers doubted Cregger could land another hit horror film. The backlash built steadily in the months leading up to release.
Yet the film's approach appears to have connected with audiences in a way previous entries did not. While the Abrams-led movie aimed to deliver a story inspired by survival horror gameplay, the earlier run of films starring Milla Jovovich typically strayed from the elements gamers love about the intellectual property. Fans also largely agree that 2021's Welcome to Raccoon City, despite carrying a thick layer of video game references, failed to effectively pay homage to the franchise. Beyond Cregger's heavy-hitting resume, audiences have spent decades waiting for a Resident Evil movie that not only shows love to the Capcom series but delivers an experience based on what it actually feels like to play its games.
The opening weekend also added another record to the film's growing list. Resident Evil has mutated its way past Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to become the highest-rated video game movie of all time, at least as far as Rotten Tomatoes is concerned. IGN gave the film an 8/10 review, calling it a simple and exciting survival horror story that benefits greatly from Cregger's sensibilities.
In the broader domestic box office race, Resident Evil took first place. Practical Magic landed in second, followed by Spider-Man: Brand New Day in third, The Odyssey in fourth, and Coyote vs. Acme in fifth. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has now surpassed $1.72 billion at the global box office, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reached $2.47 billion.
For Cregger, the weekend marks a new commercial peak. For Sony, it offers a promising sign that the Resident Evil brand can still draw crowds when a filmmaker approaches the source material with a distinct vision. And for longtime fans of the games, the result suggests that a movie built around the feeling of survival horror, rather than a checklist of references, may be exactly what the franchise needed.