Five years after the underwhelming release of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, Sony Pictures decided to give the saga another life on the big screen. After all, nothing really stays dead in the terrifying world Capcom first created back in 1996. And if the franchise has taught us anything, it is that experiments that defy logic and reason can result in a major epidemic that takes over the world. Fortunately, that's exactly what happened with Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (with the added benefit that no one had to be infected with the T-Virus this time around).
Sony Pictures' latest horror film was released to unprecedented levels of critical and commercial success. Resident Evil (2026) not only became the highest-rated video game adaptation ever, but it also set a new box-office record for the franchise during its opening weekend. So now that the RE film curse has finally been broken, fans have the same question in mind: could a sequel ever come our way?
A sequel to Resident Evil (2026) hasn't been officially greenlit
Let's start by addressing the most important (and perhaps disappointing) part: Sony hasn't officially greenlit a sequel to Resident Evil yet. While this could eventually change, it's also worth pointing out that the horror movie had a pretty self-contained story with no loose ends begging to be resolved in a future installment.
But even if Resident Evil seems to have backed itself into a corner, there's plenty of room for follow-ups. Capcom's video game franchise has a very rich backstory from which writers could draw inspiration to create more scripts moving forward. For example, audiences could dive into the backstory of the Umbrella Corporation or watch major events from the games unfold on the big screen (with a few creative liberties along the way). Better yet, there's already a concrete idea of what could happen in a sequel.
Director Zach Cregger revealed he already has ideas of where the story may head next
During an interview with The Playlist, Zach Cregger revealed that he's already entertained the idea of making a sequel for Resident Evil, which is something that was never on the table for any of his other projects, such as Barbarian:
"With Barbarian, I've never entertained the idea of a sequel or another movie in that universe because that story is, at its heart, so foul. What makes Barbarian interesting is the unfolding of the narrative, not the subject matter. I don't think I want to write another story about what that movie is about. But this [Resident Evil] is different. I want to talk about the ending of this movie so badly because there is a big aspect of it that's worth discussing. This is a different situation."
Furthermore, Cregger hinted that the fate of a sequel depends on the reception of the first installment, which was to be expected for a saga that hardly found critical success on the big screen.
"I can't help thinking about other places this story could go. I've got ideas, but this movie hasn't even come out yet. Let's see what happens," he said.
While Resident Evil (2026) has only been in theaters for a few days, its opening alone marked a new high for the franchise, which could persuade Sony to explore the possibility of producing a follow-up.
Resident Evil's impressive box office could compel Sony to move forward with a sequel
Resident Evil (2026) surpassed expectations by grossing $108.4 million at the worldwide box office during its opening weekend and another $5.3 million on Monday across US theaters, amounting to a total of $113.7 million. Sony's horror film already recouped its $75 million budget, although its break-even point is somewhere around $150 to $180 million when accounting for marketing expenses. Fortunately, early projections estimate the movie will earn $30 to $35 million at the domestic box office during its second weekend. Coupled with the international box office gross, it should turn a profit by its second week.
Commercial success is usually the be-all, end-all when it comes to greenlighting sequels across any type of media. While the Resident Evil films starring Milla Jovovich were never critically acclaimed, they were successful enough to warrant six different entries. Moreover, the low box office reception of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City meant a follow-up never saw the light of day, despite director Johannes Roberts' intention to return to the franchise.
It isn't far-fetched that Sony will at least consider making a sequel to Zach Cregger's Resident Evil, especially when looking at its box-office numbers. Unfortunately, even if the project were to be greenlit, it's unlikely it will come our way anytime soon.
If a sequel comes our way, it's unlikely to be released before 2029
Zach Cregger's filmmaking career includes horror hits like Barbarian, Weapons, and now Resident Evil. With such an impressive track record, it isn't surprising to learn that he's already working on another movie titled The Flood, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2028.
During an interview with ScreenRant, Cregger teased that The Flood will be his most disturbing project to date, even if it won't be an outright horror thriller:
"It's science fiction, and it’s probably my most disturbing film. It's not a horror movie, but it has a lot of horror in it. I love it. I think it's really, really special. I'm excited about it."
Since the acclaimed director will be busy working on The Flood until 2028, the earliest he could release a sequel to Resident Evil would be 2029 (and that's being optimistic). Granted, there's always a chance Sony will expand the saga with spinoff stories helmed by different directors. However, the wisest move would be for the studio to wait for the man who finally managed to capture lightning in a bottle for the franchise.
On the bright side, there are more Resident Evil titles coming our way in the future. A video game remake of Resident Evil – Code: Veronica will be released in 2027, and a DLC for Resident Evil Requiem is in the works. With a bit of luck, a sequel to the live-action movie will also join the list of upcoming projects soon.
Resident Evil is now playing in theaters.
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