'Resident Evil' Feasting at Box Office as Zach Cregger's Reboot Races Toward $55M Opening

Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting

Austin Abrams stars in Sony's video game adaptation that marks the year's best-reviewed horror title.

Resident Evil has hit the ground running in its box office opening as the reboot reaches unprecedented heights for the franchise.

The new Resident Evil is heading toward the highest-grossing opening in the history of the franchise that kicked off with director Paul W.S. Anderson's 2002 movie of the same name. Milla Jovovich starred in that film and five sequels before the 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City , which underperformed. The series' previous titles have collectively grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide.

In-Depth Developments & Factual Context

Cregger's hot streak continues, as Resident Evil is set for his biggest opening ever, besting the impressive $43.5 million debut weekend for his previous title, the Oscar-winning Weapons , which Warner Bros. released in August 2025. Hailing from TriStar Pictures, Constantin Film and Davis Film, Resident Evil stars Austin Abrams , Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser in the story of a medical courier (Abrams) attempting to deliver a precious item in the midst of a deadly viral outbreak in Raccoon City.

The new Resident Evil is also giving Cregger his best-reviewed title yet , becoming the first installment in the franchise to impress critics. This one holds a 96 percent approval rating from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the year's top-reviewed horror release, along with a 92 percent audience score. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter , critic Frank Scheck noted that Cregger "crafted a propulsive, simultaneously terrifying and hilarious thrill ride that showcases both his cinematic chops and perverse sense of humor."

Conjuring up a second-place finish is the sophomore frame for Warner Bros.' Practical Magic 2 , which is set to collect around $10.4 million from the weekend to bring its domestic total to roughly $48.2 million. Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, the sequel to the 1998 original looks to decline around 65 percent amid a run that will have already surpassed the first film's $46.7 million North American cume.

Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis

Having recently hit No. 1 on the all-time domestic chart, Sony's Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings to third place with $6.3 million in its eighth weekend, the first six of which saw it leading the box office. The Tom Holland-led blockbuster that hails from Marvel Studios will take its North American total to around $944.3 million in its record-setting run. A remaining question is whether Brand New Day has the potential to become the first title to reach the billion-dollar mark domestically.

Still going strong in its 10th weekend is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey . Universal's highest-grossing film ever is set to conquer an estimated $5 million for fourth place, as its domestic journey sits at $609.8 million.

Closing out the top five is the resilient Coyote vs. Acme , with the Ketchup Entertainment release expected to notch an estimated $4.2 million domestically in its fourth weekend. Emerging as a continued draw for families, the movie's total run heads to roughly $54.5 million in North America after the Looney Tunes feature was rescued from becoming a tax write-off for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Forward Outlook & Market Perspective

Fans of Transformers: The Movie have supported this weekend's 40th anniversary rerelease. The 1986 animated film looks to collect an estimated $2.95 million for Fathom Entertainment.

Making this a rare year with more than one sheep-centric feature in wide release - following May's The Sheep Detectives - is Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom , a StudioCanal and Aardman production that hits theaters stateside from GKIDS. Earning a B+ CinemaScore, the stop-motion animated sequel looks to gross $1.4 million from 2,173 North American locations to fall just outside of the top 10.

A scoop-driven, insider view of Hollywood's genre and blockbuster movie landscape, led by Borys Kit and Aaron Couch.

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