Resident Evil, directed and co-written by Zach Cregger, launched with strong box office performance on its opening weekend. The horror-survival video game adaptation earned $26.3 million on Friday, including $8.8 million from Thursday previews. Sony Pictures projects a three-day opening between $53 million and $55 million, with potential to approach $60 million. The film opened in 3,684 North American theaters and significantly exceeded the studio’s initial $40 million projection.
The reboot represents the highest-grossing opening in the Resident Evil franchise’s history. The series previously launched with director Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2002 film, which spawned five sequels starring Milla Jovovich before the underperforming 2021 installment Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. The franchise’s previous titles have accumulated over $1.2 billion in worldwide revenue. The new film features Austin Abrams as a medical courier navigating a deadly viral outbreak in Raccoon City, alongside Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.
Cregger’s success with Resident Evil marks his largest opening to date, surpassing the $43.5 million debut of his previous Warner Bros. film, Weapons, released in August 2025. The film has also become the first Resident Evil installment to receive strong critical reception, earning a 96 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming the year’s top-reviewed horror release with a 92 percent audience score. The film received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences.
At the box office, Practical Magic 2 claimed second place with approximately $10.4 million for its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to roughly $48.2 million. Spider-Man: Brand New Day held third place in its eighth weekend with $6.3 million. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey maintained fourth place in its 10th weekend with an estimated $5 million, while Coyote vs. Acme rounded out the top five with approximately $4.2 million in its fourth weekend.
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