Resident Evil hit the ground running in its box office opening as the reboot far outstripped initial expectations in setting a franchise high, representing a rarity for a horror series’ eighth installment.
Writer-director Zach Cregger‘s horror-survival video game adaptation grossed $60 million in its three-day debut weekend to top the North American chart. This is far above the $40 million that the studio had initially projected and even an improvement on the $53 million to $55 million range that Sony had been expecting as of Saturday. Earning a B+ CinemaScore from audiences, Resident Evil opened in 3,684 North American theaters and carries a $75 million production budget.
It’s not just that the 2026 Resident Evil notched 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. In fact, the new one’s opening came just shy of the entire $60.1 million domestic run for the previously highest-grossing entry, Resident Evil: Afterlife, meaning that the weekend launch for Cregger’s film came close to matching the lifetime gross for every past installment. Milla Jovovich starred in the first film and its 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.
Now, a key question becomes the status of a possible sequel and whether the in-demand Cregger, whose forthcoming projects include The Flood and a prequel for Weapons breakout Gladys, would return. “I can’t help thinking about other places this story could go,” Cregger told The Playlist prior to the release when asked if he would continue to be involved in the Resident Evil franchise.
Indeed, Cregger’s hot streak continues, as Resident Evil marks 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 also gives 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.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Conjuring up a second-place finish is the sophomore frame for Warner Bros.’ Practical Magic 2, which is set to collect around $11.5 million from the weekend to bring its domestic total to roughly $49.3 million. Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, the sequel to the 1998 original looks to decline around 62 percent amid a run that will have already surpassed the first film’s $46.7 million North American cume.
Having recently hit No. 1 on the all-time domestic chart, Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day swung to third place with $6.5 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 $944.5 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 conquered an estimated $4.9 million for fourth place, as its domestic journey sits at $609.7 million.
Closing out the top five is the resilient Coyote vs. Acme, with the Ketchup Entertainment release notching $4.3 million domestically in its fourth weekend. Emerging as a continued draw for families, the movie’s total run heads to roughly $54.6 million in North America after the Looney Tunes feature was rescued from becoming a tax write-off for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Fans of Transformers: The Movie have supported this weekend’s 40th anniversary rerelease. The 1986 animated film collected $3.3 million for Fathom Entertainment in sixth place.
In 10th place is horror-comedy Buddy, extending its strong run with $1.9 million for a domestic cume of $24.8 million. This puts Casper Kelly’s twisted look at children’s television as Roadside Attractions’ third-highest-grossing title ever, passing Judy to rank behind I Can Only Imagine in first place and runner-up Manchester by the Sea.
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 a disappointing $1.9 million from 2,173 North American locations to fall just outside of the top 10.
More to come.
This story was first published on Sept. 19 at 8:22 a.m.
