Not too many years ago, video game adaptations seemed like they were destined to fail from the get-go, with very few (if any) capturing the experience of playing the original title. Fortunately, this has started to change in recent memory, with franchises such as The Last of Us, Gran Turismo, Fallout, and more gathering critical acclaim on both the big and small screens. Better yet, Resident Evil didn't fall far behind.
The iconic franchise developed by Capcom has infected video game players around the world, propagating its influence like the T-Virus and becoming a horror staple in the process. The saga became so popular that seven different live-action movies tried to capture a bit of its magic, although they all fell short. Fortunately, Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) finally broke the curse and became the highest-rated video game adaptation ever made, with an astonishing 95% critic approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 91% audience score. This accomplishment, in turn, has resulted in the film overperforming at the box office and making history.
Resident Evil (2026) will have the biggest domestic opening for the franchise, and it's tracking to be Zach Cregger's biggest film yet
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) grossed an astounding $26.3 million at the domestic box office during its opening day and Thursday previews alone. For reference, 2010's Resident Evil: Afterlife held the previous record for the franchise's biggest opening weekend at $26.6 million. This means the latest installment nearly surpassed that figure in the span of a day.
Things look even more promising moving forward, as Resident Evil (2026) is projected to finish its domestic opening weekend grossing somewhere between $53 and $60 million. To put that number into perspective, here are all the live-action Resident Evil movies ever made and how much each one grossed during its first three days in theaters:
- Resident Evil (2026) - $53 to $60 million (projected)
- Resident Evil: Afterlife - $26.6 million
- Resident Evil: Extinction - $23.7 million
- Resident Evil: Apocalypse - $23 million
- Resident Evil: Retribution - $21 million
- Resident Evil (2002) - $17.7 million
- Resident Evil: The Final Chapter - $13.6 million
- Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City - $5.3 million
Moreover, Resident Evil (2026) is also shaping up to be the biggest opening of Zach Cregger's directorial career. After all, his second-most successful film, Weapons, had a domestic opening of $43.5 million and ended up grossing $270 million at the worldwide box office.
Resident Evil (2026) had a budget of $75 million, which is likely to be recouped during its worldwide box-office weekend, considering that the US alone could account for $60 million of that. It's a rule of thumb for studios to invest the same amount as a film's budget in marketing expenses, meaning Resident Evil's break-even point should be somewhere around $150 to $180 million.
Given that Resident Evil: Afterlife earned $300 million at the worldwide box office on a 26.6 million domestic opening, it's safe to say that Cregger's latest installment (which is off to a better start) will turn a profit by the end of its run.
2026 has been home to surprise horror hits like Obsession and Backrooms, which have grossed $516.9 million and $402.4 million, respectively, on relatively small budgets. While Resident Evil (2026) is certainly the most expensive project of the three, it could also cement itself as a must-see for horror fans like the other two titles.
Resident Evil's release near October could make it a perfect watch for the Halloween season, although there's bound to be a lot of competition when Other Mommy and DC's Clayface hit the big screen. Despite that, Resident Evil (2026) has already made box-office history for the franchise, and it's looking to become a major success for Sony Pictures.
During an interview with The Playlist, director Zach Cregger revealed he already has ideas for "other places this story could go," meaning we could see a potential follow-up down the line. This idea has become all the more likely considering Resident Evil's commercial success on its opening day alone. And since the movie will likely turn a profit by the end of its run, Sony may decide to greenlight a sequel sooner than anticipated.
Resident Evil (2026) is now playing in theaters.
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