Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil delivered a powerful start at the North American box office, pulling in $60 million during its first weekend from 3,684 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The figure marks the best opening ever for the video‑game‑inspired franchise, which began in 2002 and has produced seven prior installments.
Record‑setting debut for the series
While the 2010 entry Resident Evil: Afterlife previously held the franchise’s opening record with $60.1 million (not adjusted for inflation), Cregger’s latest effort narrowly eclipses that benchmark, establishing a new high point for the series. The film’s $75 million production budget does not include marketing and promotion costs, but the strong domestic start suggests a healthy return on investment.
Audience response and critical reception
PostTrak exit polls indicate the opening audience was overwhelmingly male (66 %) and under 35 years old (75 %). Viewers awarded the movie a B+ CinemaScore, and the film currently holds a 95 % approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting broadly positive critical and audience feedback.
Box‑office performance in context
Horror movies this year have proven to be a lucrative segment, generating more than $1.1 billion domestically, according to Rentrak data. Cregger’s earlier horror titles have also defied typical box‑office patterns: Barbarian earned over $46 million on a budget under $5 million, and Weapons grossed $270 million against a $38 million budget.Internationally, the new Resident Evil added $48.3 million, bringing its worldwide total to $108.3 million after the opening weekend.
Other weekend releases
Second place went to Practical Magic 2, which opened with $12.2 million from 4,163 theaters, a 59 % decline from its debut weekend. The film’s total, including $7 million from overseas markets, now stands at $76.8 million.
In third place, Spider‑Man: Brand New Day earned $6.5 million in its eighth weekend, pushing its domestic total to $944.5 million. The Odyssey claimed fourth place with $4.9 million, while Coyote vs. Acme rounded out the top five with $4.5 million.
Limited releases and specialty titles
A notable limited release was the documentary The History of Concrete by comedian John Wilson, which earned $90,000 from a single screen at the IFC Center in New York. The only film to surpass that single‑screen figure at the venue was the Oscar‑winning Parasite, which made $119,407.
Top ten domestic box‑office for the weekend
- Resident Evil – $60 million
- Practical Magic 2 – $12.2 million
- Spider‑Man: Brand New Day – $6.5 million
- The Odyssey – $4.9 million
- Coyote vs. Acme – $4.5 million
- Runner – $3.2 million
- Daniel and the Fiery Furnace – $3.1 million
- Transformers: The Movie (40th‑anniversary re‑release) – $3.1 million
- The Weight – $2.3 million
- Buddy – $1.9 million
The strong opening for Resident Evil underscores the continued appetite for well‑executed horror franchises and suggests a promising box‑office run for the remainder of the year.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
