‘Resident Evil’ Tops Box Office With Franchise Best Debut
The new film earned $60 million in its opening weekend, surpassing previous franchise entries.
Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” has given the North American box office a significant boost, earning an estimated $60 million in ticket sales from 3,684 theaters in its debut weekend. This marks the highest opening for any film in the "Resident Evil" franchise, which dates back to 2002.
The Sony Pictures release surpassed all but one of the previous seven films in the series in its opening weekend alone. “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” released in 2010, had grossed $60.1 million domestically without accounting for inflation.
The film, which stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier battling infected creatures in Raccoon City, received overwhelmingly positive reviews, holding a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Exit polls indicated the audience was primarily male (66%) and under 35 (75%), with a CinemaScore of B+.
Cregger, known for previous genre hits like “Barbarian” and “Weapons,” has a track record of defying typical box office trends for horror films. “Barbarian” grossed over $46 million on a budget under $5 million, while “Weapons” achieved $270 million on a $38 million budget. Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, noted Cregger's directorial success, stating, “There are certain directors who become the star of the movie.”
“Resident Evil” had a reported production cost of $75 million, excluding marketing and promotional expenses. Internationally, the film garnered $48.3 million, bringing its global launch total to $108.3 million.
Horror films in general have performed well this year, collectively generating over $1.1 billion at the domestic box office, according to Rentrak.
In other box office news, “Practical Magic 2” took second place with $12.2 million in its second weekend, a 59% drop from its opening. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” followed in third with $6.5 million in its eighth weekend, pushing its domestic total to $944.5 million. “The Odyssey” came in fourth with $4.9 million, and “Coyote vs. Acme” rounded out the top five with $4.5 million.
A limited release documentary, John Wilson’s “The History of Concrete,” earned $90,000 from a single screening at the IFC Center in New York, a venue where only “Parasite” has previously grossed more in a single weekend.