Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) is an outbreak of its own, infecting audiences with its countless terrors, likable main character, and funny moments that never make a world-ending situation feel any less dire. Video game adaptations are tricky to pull off, as a 120-minute runtime is rarely enough to fit a narrative carefully constructed from source material that spans numerous hours and different titles. Fortunately, the DNA of Capcom's franchise mutated into a monster of its own on the big screen, breaking no shortage of records along the way.
Resident Evil was quickly crowned the highest-rated video game movie ever, with a 95% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and an astounding 91% rating from audiences. This level of critical acclaim also translated into commercial success for Zach Cregger's directorial career and for the Resident Evil franchise as a whole, which is no stranger to live-action adaptations.
Resident Evil (2026) had the biggest opening weekend for any RE or Zach Cregger film
Welcome to Raccoon City, home to the Umbrella Corporation, unimaginable horrors, and box office hits. Resident Evil (2026) had an explosive opening weekend, surpassing initial projections and grossing $60 million domestically. This is a new record for the franchise, which includes six films starring Milla Jovovich and a reboot in the form of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
To put this milestone into perspective, here are all eight live-action Resident Evil films ever made, and how much each one grossed after its first three days in US theaters:
- Resident Evil (2026) - $60 million
- 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
Resident Evil's success is even more astounding when looking at the bigger picture. Sony's latest release grossed $108.4 million at the worldwide box office during its opening weekend, which was more than enough to recoup its initial budget of $75 million.
A film's break-even point usually sits around twice its initial budget to also account for marketing and promotional expenses. That means Resident Evil should make around $150 to $180 million at the worldwide box office to turn a profit. Fortunately, it is not a matter of whether the film can accomplish this task, but a matter of "when" it will do so.
Resident Evil shattered expectations by grossing another $5 million domestically on its first Monday in theaters. Additionally, early projections suggest it will have a massive second weekend, earning $27 to $32 million in the US alone. Coupled with overseas ticket sales, Sony's latest release is on track to reach its break-even point just a little over a week after it first hit theaters.
Zach Cregger is no stranger to the horror genre, directing acclaimed projects such as Barbarian (2022) and Weapons (2025). The latter previously marked the director's biggest domestic opening at $43 million, but the bar has now been raised by Resident Evil (2026).
Resident Evil: Afterlife—the most successful entry in Milla Jovovich's saga—reached $300 million by the end of its theatrical run, of which $60.1 million came from US theaters. That means Resident Evil (2026) has already outgrossed the previous record-holder at the domestic box office in the span of just three days. While it's too early to tell how much more Cregger's film will make during its theatrical run, it isn't far-fetched to assume it could match (and even surpass) 2026's biggest horror hits, Obsession and Backrooms, which grossed $516.9 million and $402.4 million, respectively.
The success of Resident Evil could ensure that a sequel eventually sees the light of day. After all, Zach Cregger revealed during an interview with The Playlist that he already has ideas for where the story could go next. Besides, the games have a rich backstory that writers could use for inspiration for future scripts. We have already spent some time in Raccoon City, but if Leon Kennedy has taught us anything, it is that this haunted place always finds its way back to us.
Only time will tell what's next for Capcom's beloved saga on the big screen, but for once, it seems Raccoon City is home to nothing but good news.
Resident Evil (2026) is now playing on theaters.
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