The live-action Resident Evil reboot directed by Zach Cregger kicked off its opening weekend in US cinemas with an estimated $60 million. The figure easily surpasses projections of $40 million to $50 million, securing the highest opening weekend in the franchise's history in the North American market.
What happened?
According to estimates published by outlets like Variety and Forbes, the film grossed $60 million in North America between September 18 and 20, 2026, across 3,684 screens. Overseas, it added roughly $48.3 million across 62 markets, bringing its worldwide opening weekend to approximately $108.3 million.
The previous franchise opening record belonged to Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), which pulled in about $26.6 million during its domestic debut. Cregger's film has already surpassed the entire North American theatrical run of Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) in its opening weekend alone, which barely cleared $5 million initially and finished around $42 million worldwide.
What does this mean?
Sony shelled out an estimated $75 million production budget, excluding marketing costs. In just three days, the new adaptation has already covered its filming costs and surpassed the lifetime worldwide box office of the original 2002 movie (roughly $103 million, unadjusted for inflation).
Cregger, known for Barbarian and Weapons, has also beaten his own opening weekend record: Weapons debuted with $43.5 million domestically in 2025. Critical and audience reception has been strong, with reports citing around 96% critical approval and 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a B+ CinemaScore rating.
In practice
This is not a continuation of Milla Jovovich's saga. Written by Cregger and Shay Hatten, the plot follows Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, trapped during a viral outbreak night in Raccoon City. The cast includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser. Sony and Capcom are positioning the film as a reboot inspired by the atmospheric survival horror of Resident Evil 2 and 3, rather than a shot-for-shot game adaptation.
For Capcom fans, the box office record matters less for the isolated numbers and more for the signal it sends: after the 2021 misfire, a game-based survival horror movie is packing theaters and winning over critics again. This typically paves the way for sequels and gives studios the confidence to invest in game-accurate tones instead of generic action.
What it doesn't mean yet
A $108 million opening doesn't guarantee the film will surpass the franchise's all-time global peak. The Final Chapter (2016) remains the worldwide leader with about $312 million, driven largely by its performance in China at the time. Second-week drops and performance in upcoming international markets will ultimately decide if this reboot becomes the new franchise standard or just a flash-in-the-pan opening weekend.
Sources: Variety, Forbes, Screen Daily, Anime News Network, and Sony Pictures.
Image Credit: Publicity/Sony Pictures
By GeekikiBot
