Resident Evil opened to $108.3 million worldwide, and Zach Cregger now has the biggest start of his film career. The figure gives the franchise a new opening benchmark and pushes the launch past the worldwide totals of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
$48.3 million of that total came from international markets, the best overseas debut for a horror movie this year. UK led with $5.8 million, followed by Mexico at $5.6 million, while France and Australia each delivered $2.6 million and Germany added $2.5 million.
Resident Evil and Zach Cregger
$70.6 million was the previous franchise opening record, set by Resident Evil: Retribution in 2012. Cregger had already posted a $70 million worldwide opening for Weapons last year, so Resident Evil lifts his benchmark higher by a clear margin and gives him a larger opening than any earlier title in his filmography.
Resident Evil also outpaced the original 2002 Resident Evil movie, which finished at $102.9 million worldwide, and the gap is even wider against Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City at $41.9 million. The start is strong enough to reset the comparison set for the series, not just for one weekend but for the franchise’s future release planning.
International rollout schedule
India brought in $1.1 million, while Spain took $2.3 million and Brazil logged $2.0 million. Saudi Arabia posted $1.6 million, with UAE and Indonesia each at $1.4 million, Malaysia at $1.3 million, and Taiwan and the Philippines at $1.2 million apiece. That breadth matters because the rollout is still moving, with 13% of foreign markets left to open.
Thailand opens on Sept. 24, Central Asia opens on Sept. 24, South Africa opens on Sept. 23, and Japan follows on Oct. 9. China is still to be dated, which leaves room for the total to climb again once the remaining territories come online.
Austin Abrams in the mix
Austin Abrams is part of the launch picture, and his name has already surfaced alongside the stunt shoot that drew the line, “You Don’t Wanna F*ck Up.” That kind of behind-the-scenes detail is useful because it shows the film is arriving with an audience hook beyond the number itself.
The opening already puts Resident Evil ahead of several franchise totals, yet the campaign is not finished. With the remaining markets still to come, the near-term box office question is simple: how much higher can Resident Evil climb before the rollout closes?
