Resident Evil Targets $50M Opening After $8.8M Previews, Beating 24-Year Franchise Records
Updated
Updated · Deadline · Sep 18
Resident Evil Targets $50M Opening After $8.8M Previews, Beating 24-Year Franchise Records
3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Sep 18
Summary
$24 million through Friday and previews puts Resident Evil on pace for at least a $50 million domestic debut, which would be the biggest opening in the franchise’s 24-year film history.
The launch builds on $8.8 million in Thursday previews and strong same-day buying—52% of Thursday ticket sales were walk-ups—while the film plays in 3,684 theaters.
Audience response has supported the surge: PostTrak showed 4.5 out of 5 stars and a 70% definite-recommend rate, rising to 75% among men over 25, the movie’s largest audience segment.
That opening alone would top the full domestic runs of several earlier Resident Evil films, including the 2002 original’s $40.1 million and 2021’s Welcome to Raccoon City at $17 million.
For Zach Cregger, the result would also mark a new domestic opening high, surpassing Weapons at $43.5 million and reinforcing demand for a more game-faithful adaptation.
Could Zach Cregger’s single-outing reboot finally break the infamous curse of video game adaptations with its record-shattering opening?
Why did a $75 million horror reboot centered on an unknown medical courier manage to outshine decades of established franchise lore?
If this 90-minute survival-horror thrill ride sets franchise records, will Hollywood permanently abandon the action-heavy formula of past game adaptations?