Heading into 2026, Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” was among the most anticipated horror films of the year, especially for fans of the video game series it’s based on. Now, in its opening weekend, the Austin Abrams-led movie has opened with an impressive $60 million, beating industry expectations and setting a new franchise record. Plus, it topped “Practical Magic 2” and “Spider-Man.”
Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Is The Biggest Movie In The Franchise
Getty“Resident Evil” arrived in movie theaters on September 18 and earned $26 million on its opening day. Now, according to Variety, the movie made $60 million over the course of the weekend. Per the outlet, the new movie, which is the eighth in the franchise, was tracking to open with between $40 million and $50 million.
Notably, the franchise’s highest-grossing movie was 2010’s “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” which earned $26.6 million in the US.
“Resident Evil” was released by Sony, and the studio is said to have spent $70 million producing it. However, this figure does not include marketing. It’s also worth noting that this is the first film in the franchise since 2021’s critical and commercial failure, “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.” That film made only $42 million worldwide from a $25 million budget.
The Rest of This Weekend’s Top 5
Following Cregger’s “Resident Evil,” last weekend’s first-place movie, “Practical Magic 2,” is now number two. The film earned $12 million in its second weekend, down 60% from its initial $30 million. So far, the movie has earned $76.8 million, including its international box office.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” remains strong in its eighth weekend, coming in at number three with $6.5 million. It has made $2.45 billion so far, making it the third-biggest movie of all time. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” came in at number four, garnering another $4.9 million in its 10th weekend of release.
Ketchup Entertainment’s “Coyote vs Acme” was the fifth-biggest movie in its fourth weekend with $4.3 million. It has earned $54.6 million so far.
Zach Cregger Opens Up About ‘Resident Evil’
GettyCregger appeared on the “Double Toasted” podcast in September 2025, roughly a year before “Resident Evil” was released. During the interview, he described the movie as being “true to the experience” of the video games, saying that it “lives in the world” of the second and third games in the series but more of the tone of the fourth game.
According to him, “I don’t think I am taking any more liberties with this [movie] than the game franchise does. I think I am coloring within the lines.”
He then said, “It takes place in the world of the games, but most importantly, the journey you’ll have as a viewer watching this movie is going to be similar to the journey you have as a player when you play these games. What that means is it follows one protagonist from point A to point B as they descend deeper and deeper and deeper into hell.”
Regarding his history with the games, the “Weapons” director stated, “As someone who has played I don’t know how many thousands and thousands of hours of ‘Resident Evil,’ I just feel like I know how that pacing can go, and it’s inherently cinematic. I feel like there is a great movie that can live inside this world and inside that sort of pacing. I am really, really pumped about the story that we get to tell here.”
