Resident Evil has become the biggest theatrical success in the franchise’s film history, adding another major win to a strong year for Capcom’s survival-horror series.
The wider series has already had plenty of momentum, from Resident Evil Requiem to remakes arriving on Nintendo Switch 2. Zach Cregger’s new film reboot has now added an impressive cinema run to that list.
Resident Evil reaches a franchise-best total
The film opened last month with $60 million at the domestic box office, giving it the strongest opening weekend ever recorded by a Resident Evil movie.
Following its release in China, Japan and other international markets, the film earned a further $62.7 million worldwide over the weekend. Its cumulative global total has reached $320.2 million, based on figures reported by Deadline.
That result places it ahead of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which finished with $314.1 million worldwide in 2016. It is also director Zach Cregger’s highest-grossing film to date, surpassing Weapons, which made $270 million worldwide last year.
The movie has been in cinemas for only four weekends. With the Halloween season approaching, its worldwide earnings could continue to rise.
Strong reviews help drive the horror hit
Commercial success has been matched by a strong critical response. Resident Evil launched with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and quickly became the highest-rated video game movie.
Reviewers have praised the film’s ability to reproduce the tension of playing a Resident Evil game. Its mix of fear, humour, graphic horror and striking visuals has been singled out, as has its focus on the fight-or-flight feeling central to the games.
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Could Cregger return for a sequel?
No sequel has been officially approved. Cregger has nevertheless said he has further ideas for the story, while also confirming that his next film is already taking shape and will not be another Resident Evil project.
That leaves the future of this reboot open. For now, the film’s record-breaking theatrical performance gives Capcom and its partners a strong reason to consider where the series could go next.
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