Resident Evil Eyes $40 Million Opening as 96% Reviews Fuel Franchise-Best Debut

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Sep 18

$40 million is Sony’s opening-weekend target for Resident Evil, which opens Friday in about 3,500 North American theaters and could still push closer to $50 million.
A 96% Rotten Tomatoes score has helped lift late tracking, giving the reboot unusually strong critical momentum for a franchise long known more for box office than reviews.
A $40 million debut would mark the biggest domestic opening in Resident Evil history, topping the 2002 original’s $17.7 million start after the series grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide.
The $75 million film is Zach Cregger’s latest horror release after Weapons and Barbarian, and arrives as Sony looks to extend its recent box-office strength into the early fall corridor.