Sony’s horror reboot of Resident Evil has shattered box office expectations, pulling in an estimated $108.3 million worldwide during its opening weekend. Directed by Zach Cregger and starring Austin Abrams, the adaptation easily eclipsed previous franchise records following strong Thursday preview numbers.
Thursday Preview Records Fall as Box Office Projections Climb
Thursday preview numbers set an aggressive pace for the wide release. The film pulled in roughly $8.8 million to $9 million in Thursday preview screenings, obliterating the franchise’s previous preview record of just $1 million set by 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Playing across 3,166 theaters, the film earned PostTrak scores of 4.5 out of 5 stars, pushing initial domestic weekend projections well past early expectations.
That preview haul landed comfortably above the numbers posted by the director’s previous film, which opened with $5.75 million in previews before earning $43.5 million in its opening weekend. It also surpassed preview totals for Scream 7, suggesting the zombie-infested property was tracking toward a particularly strong multiplier once full weekend numbers were tallied.
Global Ticket Sales Eclipse the Lifetime Hauls of Earlier Installments
When the dust settled on the opening weekend, the global tally confirmed that the reboot had not just broken opening-weekend records, but outgrossed the entire lifetime theatrical hauls of nearly every previous installment in a single frame.
The international rollout was led by the United Kingdom with $5.8 million, closely followed by Mexico at $5.6 million. France and Australia each contributed $2.6 million, Germany added $2.5 million, and Spain chipped in $2.3 million. That worldwide debut clears the lifetime gross of the original 2002 movie, which finished its run at $102.3 million, and towers over the 2021 reboot Welcome to Raccoon City, which stalled at $41.9 million worldwide.
Critical Acclaim Meets Commercial Success for Director Zach Cregger
The commercial victory is matched by unprecedented critical reception for the property. The film holds a 95% to 96% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 91% audience score, clearing the previous franchise high of 67% set by the original 2002 film. Reviewers praised the lean runtime, cinematic gore, and the comedic timing of the cast.
“Packing unforgettable scares into a sleek runtime while Austin Abrams’ crack comedic timing provides crucial levity, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is a propulsive tribute to the pleasure and terror of playing a truly spooky video game.”
Rotten Tomatoes, Critics Consensus via Collider
Exhibitors had counted on the project to invigorate the fall box office. Sony spent $75 million to produce the movie before marketing costs, meaning the project has already generated more than its production budget during its opening frames. With ticket sales tracking rapidly, the feature is well on its way to generating multiples of its production budget before leaving theaters.
A Fresh Take on a 24-Year-Old Multimedia Franchise
The property began as a 1996 video game before expanding into a multimedia franchise spanning sequels, television shows, and film adaptations. The first big-screen adaptation arrived in 2002 starring Milla Jovovich as Alice, a former security specialist and covert operative who reprised her role across five follow-up films that collectively generated $1 billion globally.
Rather than continuing that established continuity, the new live-action reboot was written and directed by Zach Cregger alongside co-writer Shay Hatten. The story follows Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a medical courier caught in a deadly viral outbreak while making a delivery in Raccoon City. The narrative draws direct influence from the atmosphere and pacing of classic survival-horror games like Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, deliberately expanding its audience beyond the core fanbase that followed the 2000s and 2010s film iterations.
