Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil has exploded at the North American box office, opening with an estimated US$60 million from 3,684 cinemas in the United States and Canada and setting a new domestic opening record for the long-running video game franchise.
The film also delivered a US$48.3 million opening internationally, giving it an estimated US$108.3 million worldwide debut. The result puts the reboot well ahead of expectations and marks a major opening for the franchise, which began its live-action film series in 2002.
Resident Evil’s US$60 million opening is more than most previous films in the series earned during their entire domestic theatrical runs. The previous domestic opening record belonged to Resident Evil: Afterlife, which opened with about US$26 million in 2010.
The new film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier whose final job takes him into a nightmarish outbreak involving infected creatures in Raccoon City. Cregger, who previously directed Barbarian and Weapons, also co-wrote the new film with Shay Hatten.
The strong opening was accompanied by a much warmer critical response than many earlier Resident Evil films. Rotten Tomatoes listed the movie at roughly 95% to 96% from critics shortly after release, while audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore.
The audience was also notably young and male, according to PostTrak exit polling. About 66% of the opening-weekend audience was male and 75% was under 35, suggesting the reboot has connected strongly with younger horror and gaming audiences.
Sony reportedly spent about US$75 million to produce the film, making the opening particularly significant for the studio. The movie has already generated more than its production budget in worldwide theatrical revenue based on early box-office estimates, although marketing costs and cinema revenue shares also factor into a film’s eventual profitability.
The franchise has had a long and uneven theatrical history. Milla Jovovich previously led six Resident Evil films, while Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City attempted a separate reboot in 2021. The latest movie represents another reset, this time placing Cregger at the center of the revival.
The film’s opening also comes during a strong period for horror at the North American box office. Industry data cited by The Associated Press indicated that horror films had generated more than US$1.1 billion domestically in 2026, with audiences continuing to turn out for the genre.
Resident Evil now faces the more difficult test that comes after a huge opening: whether strong reviews and audience reactions can keep viewers coming back in the weeks ahead.
For now, the franchise has delivered its biggest domestic launch ever — but the bigger question is whether this reboot can turn that record-breaking beginning into a long-running box-office comeback.
