Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” Reboot Becomes Franchise’s Biggest Opener With $60 Million

Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” has given Sony’s long-running horror franchise its biggest opening yet. The new adaptation earned $60 million in North America over its debut weekend and another $48.3 million internationally, bringing its worldwide opening to $108.3 million. The domestic figure sets a new franchise record and gives Cregger his biggest opening after the $43.5 million debut of 2025’s “Weapons.”

Cregger’s approach to the Capcom property also takes the film in a new direction. “Resident Evil” does not follow an established game character such as Leon S. Kennedy or Jill Valentine. Instead, Austin Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who finds himself caught in a viral outbreak after arriving in Raccoon City. Cregger previously explained that he wanted to create an original story within the rules and lore of the games. He has described the movie as a story that exists outside the characters already known from the games.

The franchise dates back to Capcom’s original “Resident Evil” game, released for PlayStation in 1996. Paul W.S. Anderson brought the property to theaters in 2002 with Milla Jovovich as Alice, a character created specifically for the film series. Jovovich returned across five sequels, with “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” arriving in 2017. Sony and Constantin Film attempted a fresh start with 2021’s “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” which earned only $42 million worldwide against a reported $25 million budget. Its domestic opening reached just $5.3 million.

Cregger’s version has also received a markedly stronger critical response. “Resident Evil” currently holds a 96% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest rating for a live-action film in the franchise. The movie also earned a B+ CinemaScore from opening-weekend audiences.