Austin Abrams in 'Resident Evil.' Courtesy of Everett Collection Logo text Resident Evil looks to get off to a running start in its opening weekend at the box office.
Sony Pictures releases writer-director Zach Cregger‘s horror-survival video game adaptation on Friday in roughly 3,500 North American theaters, with the studio projecting a debut frame of $40 million for the three-day weekend. This is in line with third-party tracking services, although some of those have upped their expectations in recent days as interest heats up, with the possibility that the opening gets close to $50 million or higher. It carries a $75 million production budget.
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A launch of $40 million would give the new Resident Evil the distinction of the highest-grossing opening in the history of the franchise. The series’ previous titles have collectively grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide.
Hailing from TriStar Pictures, Constantin Film and Davis Film, Resident Evil stars Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser in the story of a medical courier (Abrams) attempting to deliver a precious item in the midst of a deadly viral outbreak in Raccoon City. The movie looks to continue the hot streak for Cregger, whose most recent release was Warner Bros.’ Oscar-winning horror film Weapons, which hit theaters last summer, and before that was his well-received Barbarian.
Resident Evil reboots the film franchise adapting Capcom’s video game series that launched in 1996. The first live-action feature adaptation came with director Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2002 movie Resident Evil, with the Milla Jovovich-led project opening to $17.7 million domestically and going on to surpass $100 million globally throughout its run. Jovovich starred in five sequels before Kaya Scodelario led the 2021 reboot attempt Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which underperformed at the box office.
Director Zach Cregger (right) and Austin Abrams on the set of Resident Evil. Dušan Martinček/Sony Pictures While the Resident Evil movies have not been known as critical darlings, the latest one is a very different story, as it holds an eye-popping 96 percent approval rating from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Frank Scheck noted that Cregger “crafted a propulsive, simultaneously terrifying and hilarious thrill ride that showcases both his cinematic chops and perverse sense of humor.”
As for Cregger, he told THR at the Los Angeles premiere that he had high hopes for the movie’s reception. “I felt pretty confident,” the director said. “We’ll see. Maybe I’m delusional, but I don’t think so. I’ve seen the movie, and I like it.”
This should provide more of a jolt to the early days of fall than the previous frame, which saw Warner Bros.’ Practical Magic 2 take the top spot in a subdued debut that ended the six-weekend winning streak for Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Earlier this week, the Tom Holland-led Spidey movie swung its way to No. 1 on the all-time domestic chart, toppling Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.
Also opening in wide release is stop-motion animated sequel Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, hitting theaters stateside from GKIDS.
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