Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is heading into its opening weekend with strong box-office momentum, with the horror reboot already recording the biggest preview performance in the franchise. The film, which arrives in theaters on September 18, has generated more than $8 million from previews in the U.S., with estimates indicating that the figure could approach or cross $9 million.
The preview performance is a significant jump over the previous franchise record. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, released in 2017, generated approximately $1 million from previews, while Resident Evil: Afterlife currently holds the series’ record for the biggest domestic opening weekend at $26.6 million. Cregger’s film is entering the weekend with a projected domestic opening range of $40 million to $50 million, which would put it above the previous franchise benchmark if the tracking materializes.
The current domestic projections have strengthened following the film’s early reviews. Resident Evil is currently at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 100 critics, while the audience score has also been reported in the low 90s. Rotten Tomatoes’ first-review roundup noted that the film had received some of the strongest reviews of the franchise, with critics particularly responding to its pacing, horror elements and approach to the video-game material.
The response also marks a notable change from the reception to previous Resident Evil films. The 2026 film is being positioned as a new interpretation of Capcom’s survival-horror property rather than a direct continuation of the earlier Milla Jovovich-led series. Cregger co-wrote and directed the film with Shay Hatten, while Austin Abrams leads the cast as Bryan, a medical courier caught in a chaotic outbreak in Raccoon City. Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson and Paul Walter Hauser also star.
The film’s approach has been one of the major points in its early reviews. Critics have highlighted the way Cregger attempts to capture the experience and atmosphere of playing a Resident Evil game rather than simply reproducing its existing characters and mythology. TheWrap noted that the film takes a different approach to the Capcom property, while Rotten Tomatoes’ review roundup described it as an adaptation that draws on the spirit of the games while allowing Cregger to create his own story.
At the same time, the critical response has not been entirely uniform. While many reviews have praised the film’s horror, action, visual design and humor, some critics have raised concerns about the balance between comedy and horror and the resolution of the story. Rotten Tomatoes’ review roundup specifically noted criticism of the ending from several reviewers, with some finding the conclusion abrupt or less satisfying than the earlier sections of the film.
The box-office setup is also notable because of Cregger’s recent track record. His previous film, Weapons, opened to $43.5 million domestically and went on to gross $151.5 million in North America and $270 million worldwide, according to TheWrap. Resident Evil is his first major established franchise property following those original horror films.
Internationally, Resident Evil is expected to contribute substantially to its opening weekend. Earlier industry tracking put the overseas opening at approximately $23 million to $24 million, while the overall worldwide opening projection was around $80 million. The film is rolling out across a broad international footprint, with several territories opening ahead of or alongside the U.S. release.
The franchise has historically had a strong international presence, particularly in markets such as Japan, Germany, Mexico, France, South Korea, the UK, Italy, Brazil and Australia. Japan remains an important market for the property and is scheduled to receive the new film on October 9, while additional territories including Thailand, the CIS region and South Africa are set to follow. China is also scheduled for a later release.
The Resident Evil film franchise has generated more than $1.2 billion worldwide across its previous entries, giving the new film a substantial existing international brand. The 2021 reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, however, grossed approximately $42 million worldwide, demonstrating the uneven commercial performance of the property between installments.
For the 2026 film, the immediate box-office benchmark is therefore clear: Resident Evil: Afterlife’s $26.6 million domestic opening. With previews already above $8 million and current tracking placing the opening weekend at $40 million to $50 million, Cregger’s film has entered its theatrical run with the potential to establish a new franchise opening record. The actual result will depend on the film’s full Friday-to-Sunday performance and its international rollout.
Resident Evil is now playing in theaters, with Sony Pictures distributing the film domestically. The movie carries an R rating for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout and has a reported runtime of 90 minutes.
