Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' opens to $60 million, a franchise record

Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" reboot took first place at the North American box office over the weekend of September 18 to 20, 2026, earning $60 million from 3,684 theaters in the United States and Canada. It is the biggest opening weekend in the history of the video game adaptation series.

Opening weekend results

According to the Associated Press, as published by Scripps News, the Sony Pictures release added $48.3 million from international markets, for a global opening of $108.3 million. Yahoo Entertainment reported the same figures.

Both reports put the film's production budget at about $75 million, not counting marketing costs. Audiences gave the film a B+ grade on CinemaScore, and it held a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of the reports.

The AP reported that "Practical Magic 2" finished second for the weekend with $12.2 million, and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" placed third with $6.5 million in its eighth weekend in theaters.

A record for the series

The live-action "Resident Evil" film series began in 2002. Yahoo Entertainment, citing the AP, reported that the previous opening weekend record belonged to "Resident Evil: Afterlife" from 2010, and that the new film more than doubled that figure.

The AP noted that the new film's three-day total already rivals the full domestic runs of earlier entries. "Resident Evil: Afterlife" finished its entire domestic run with $60.1 million, not adjusted for inflation. The most recent live-action entry, 2021's "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City," opened with $5.3 million domestically, according to Yahoo Entertainment.

Screen Rant reported that the film took in $8.8 million from Thursday preview screenings, which it described as the highest preview total in the franchise's history.

The filmmaker

The opening is the biggest domestic debut of Cregger's career as a director. His previous best was "Weapons," which opened to $43.5 million in August 2025, according to Yahoo Entertainment and Screen Rant.

Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, a courier caught up in the outbreak in Raccoon City. The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.

Box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the AP: "Zach Cregger is a household name in the world of horror." He added: "Zach Cregger plus big franchise equals big bucks."

Why it matters

The result came after the previous live-action entry opened with just $5.3 million, showing renewed audience interest in the series under a new director. The strong start, well above the earlier franchise benchmark, gives Sony Pictures a new hit and strengthens Cregger's standing as a director whose name helps sell tickets, a point Dergarabedian made when he said that "there are certain directors who become the star of the movie."

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.