Resident Evil Reboot Sets Franchise Record With $60 Million Debut
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil opened to an estimated $60 million in North America, more than doubling the franchise’s previous debut record. Strong reviews and a $108.3 million global start now put the focus on its staying power.
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A horror franchise finds a new ceiling
Sony’s latest trip to Raccoon City collected an estimated $60 million from 3,684 theaters in the United States and Canada over its first weekend, the strongest domestic launch in the series’ 24-year film history.abcnews The result more than doubled the previous opening record of $26 million, set by 2010’s Resident Evil: Afterlife, and exceeded prerelease tracking of $40 million to $50 million.variety
Overseas ticket sales added $48.3 million, taking the worldwide start to $108.3 million against a reported $75 million production budget before marketing.abcnews +1 Final weekend figures are due Monday, so the totals remain studio estimates.
Cregger turns familiarity into an event
Writer-director Zach Cregger’s adaptation stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier crossing a monster-infested Raccoon City during a viral outbreak. Its debut surpassed the $43.5 million opening of Cregger’s previous film, Weapons, giving the filmmaker a new career best.deadline +1 Thursday previews alone brought in $8.8 million, also a record for the franchise.deadline
The movie arrived with unusually strong reception for a long-running horror property. It earned a B+ CinemaScore, the series’ best grade, while critics gave it a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of the weekend estimates.deadline +1 PostTrak data showed that 66% of the opening audience was male, and roughly three-quarters of ticket buyers were younger than 35.abcnews
The next test is staying power
The opening nearly matched the entire $60.1 million North American run of Afterlife, previously the franchise’s biggest domestic earner.abcnews It also stands far above the 2021 reboot Welcome to Raccoon City, which opened to $5.3 million and finished with $42 million worldwide against a $25 million budget.variety
Competition was light: Practical Magic 2 placed second with about $12.2 million, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey followed with $6.5 million and $4.9 million, respectively.timesofindia Horror releases have now generated about $1.17 billion domestically this year, according to Rentrak, putting the genre within reach of last year’s record.deadline
The favorable reviews and audience scores give the film a chance to avoid the steep second-weekend drops common to horror. A sequel has not been announced, but Cregger has said he is already thinking about where the story could go next.yahoo Its hold against three new wide releases next weekend will show whether the launch reflects durable demand or a concentrated rush from fans.