Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Projected to Post Biggest Opening Weekend in Franchise History
Box office projections suggest Zach Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil film could earn $40M-$50M in its opening weekend, surpassing the previous franchise record set by Resident Evil: Afterlife in 2010.
Zach Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil film is projected to deliver the most profitable opening weekend of any movie adaptation of Capcom's horror franchise, according to industry tracking data. Box Office Pro, a trade publication affiliated with the National Association of Theater Owners, forecasts the zombie thriller will earn between $40 million and $50 million during its debut weekend in September. That figure would comfortably eclipse the previous franchise high of roughly $26.7 million set by Resident Evil: Afterlife in 2010.
For context, other entries in the long-running series have opened to significantly lower numbers. Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Resident Evil: Extinction each brought in about $23 million during their opening weekends, while the original 2002 film earned $17.7 million. The lowest debut belongs to 2021's Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which was widely criticized by fans and reviewers alike.
Cregger, known for the acclaimed horror films Barbarian and Weapons, has deliberately avoided a scene-for-scene retelling of the games. Speaking with IGN at San Diego Comic-Con, he explained his reasoning: "I am not trying to adapt a video game. I'm not using the characters from the games. I'm not telling a story that the games tell because I'm not going to be able to do it better than the games." He added that characters like Leon and Claire "exist so perfectly in the games" that any attempt to recast them would likely hurt the film.
Instead, the movie follows an ordinary person caught up in the Raccoon City Incident, the zombie outbreak that anchors the franchise's lore. Early descriptions have called the film an "all gas, no brakes" thrill ride and the "Fury Road of horror." Cregger has packed in nods to the source material, including a character scrambling for ammunition, Heavy Field shotgun shells from Resident Evil 4, first-person action sequences, a typewriter, and a mention of the Umbrella Corporation.
The film runs one hour and 35 minutes and is scheduled for release on September 18. Whether the box office projections hold remains to be seen, but enthusiasm for Cregger's take on the beloved franchise is running high, and the early tracking suggests audiences are ready for a fresh approach to the series.
