Resident Evil Reboot Debuts to $60M, a Franchise Record

Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" reboot collected $60 million from 3,684 theaters in the United States and Canada over the September 18-20 weekend, according to studio estimates reported by The Associated Press on September 20. Deadline reported the same number. Overseas showings added $48.3 million, for a global launch of $108.3 million, AP said.

That is the largest domestic opening weekend in the live-action franchise, which began in 2002 and now runs to eight films. The previous best opening was 2010's "Resident Evil: Afterlife" at $26.6 million, according to Screen Rant's breakdown of the series — the new film more than doubled it. The comparison covers United States and Canada ticket sales only and is not adjusted for inflation. Afterlife also holds the franchise's highest domestic total, $60.1 million, a lifetime figure AP noted the reboot came within about $100,000 of in three days.

The weekend also marks a career best for Cregger, whose previous two horror films were outliers in their own right: "Barbarian" grossed more than $46 million on a budget under $5 million, and "Weapons" made $270 million on a $38 million budget, AP reported. Screen Rant put "Weapons" three-day opening at $43.5 million, the mark this debut passed. Deadline reported that Sony chose the mid-September date partly to avoid the NFL's opening weekend and partly for access to Imax and premium large-format screens, and ranked the result the seventh-biggest September opening on record, ahead of "The Nun" at $53.8 million.

Reception was strong across the board. The film cost a reported $75 million to produce before marketing, and drew a B+ CinemaScore from an audience that PostTrak exit polls measured as 66% male and 75% under 35, AP reported. On critics' scores the two outlets differ slightly: AP cited 95% on Rotten Tomatoes on Sunday, while Deadline cited a 96% "certified fresh" rating and called it the best of Cregger's career. Screen Rant noted the next-highest-rated live-action entry in the series sits at 39%. Gamers made up 36% of the opening audience, Deadline reported, against 14% for 2016's "The Final Chapter." Horror releases have generated more than $1.1 billion at the domestic box office in 2026, according to Rentrak.

Final weekend figures were due on Monday, September 21, and estimates can shift. The sharper question is the second weekend: horror openings are typically front-loaded and fall steeply, and Cregger's earlier films were the exception. Sony has not announced a sequel. Behind "Resident Evil," "Practical Magic 2" fell about 59% to $12.2 million and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" took $6.5 million in its eighth weekend.