Resident Evil Tracking for Franchise-Best Opening Weekend as Zach Cregger’s Reboot Nears Release

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is heading into its theatrical release with strong box-office tracking, and the latest forecasts have the reboot positioned for the biggest domestic opening weekend in franchise history.

Current industry tracking puts the movie in the neighborhood of $40 million to $50 million domestically for its opening weekend, while Deadline has reported an approximately $80 million worldwide debut as the current global forecast.

That would put the new movie ahead of the franchise's previous domestic opening record, set by Resident Evil: Afterlife in 2010 with $26.6 million.

How Much Is Resident Evil Tracking to Make?

The latest domestic tracking puts Resident Evil in a $40 million–$50 million opening-weekend range.

Boxoffice Pro's September 16 weekend forecast also places the movie in that same $40 million–$50 million range for September 18–20, giving the reboot a potentially significant start for a franchise whose previous domestic openings ranged from the low single digits to the $20-million-plus range.

Deadline's current global projection is approximately $80 million worldwide, although pre-release estimates can move as final presales, reviews, audience interest and theater bookings develop.

Resident Evil Could Break the Franchise's Opening Record

The previous domestic opening record belongs to Resident Evil: Afterlife, which opened to approximately $26.6 million in 2010.

The current tracking range for Cregger's film sits considerably above that number. Even the lower end of the $40 million–$50 million forecast would represent a new franchise high.

Boxoffice Pro notes that the seven previous Resident Evil movies generated domestic opening weekends ranging from approximately $13 million to $26.6 million in the franchise's later theatrical history.

Why Is Resident Evil Tracking So Strong?

Several factors are contributing to the current attention around the movie.

Zach Cregger's Horror Reputation

Cregger arrives at Resident Evil after directing Barbarian and Weapons. Weapons became a major theatrical success, giving the filmmaker additional visibility among horror audiences.

Resident Evil therefore isn't being marketed simply as another installment in an established video-game movie franchise. It is also being positioned as a new horror film from a director who has recently built a strong profile in the genre.

The Resident Evil Name

The franchise already has a large worldwide audience thanks to the games and previous movies. The earlier film series starring Milla Jovovich generated more than $1 billion worldwide across its theatrical run.

Cregger's movie is an all-new story rather than a continuation of that previous film series, giving the filmmakers room to establish a different version of the franchise.

Strong Early Reviews

Early critical reception has also added to the conversation. The current Rotten Tomatoes page lists the movie at 96% from 74 critic reviews at the time of this article's publication.

That figure can change as additional reviews are added, but the early score has given the reboot another major talking point before its theatrical release.

Resident Evil Cast

The new Resident Evil is led by Austin Abrams, with a cast that includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.

What Is the New Resident Evil Movie About?

The 2026 Resident Evil follows Bryan, a medical courier whose routine assignment turns into a fight for survival when one terrifying night plunges him into chaos.

Sony describes the film as an all-new story and a reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise rather than a direct continuation of the earlier Milla Jovovich movies.

The movie is directed by Zach Cregger, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten.

When Does Resident Evil 2026 Come Out?

Resident Evil opens in theaters on September 18, 2026.

Sony is releasing the film exclusively in movie theaters, giving it a wide theatrical launch across the September 18–20 weekend.

The timing puts the film directly into a major box-office weekend and gives the franchise an opportunity to establish a new opening record before the fall movie calendar becomes increasingly crowded.

Is Resident Evil a Reboot?

Yes. The 2026 Resident Evil is presented as an all-new reinvention of the franchise.

It is separate from the previous Resident Evil movie series led by Milla Jovovich. Cregger's film introduces a new story and a new central character while retaining the horror and survival elements associated with the video-game property.

Resident Evil vs. the Previous Franchise Record

The current tracking is notable because it does not merely suggest another solid Resident Evil opening. The reported range is substantially above the franchise's previous domestic opening record.

Resident Evil: Afterlife opened to approximately $26.6 million domestically in 2010. A $40 million opening for the new film would already clear that mark by a wide margin.

The important caveat is that tracking is not the same thing as box-office revenue. The final result will depend on actual ticket sales during the opening weekend.

Resident Evil 2026 Quick Facts

• Title: Resident Evil
• Year: 2026
• Director: Zach Cregger
• Writers: Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten
• Lead: Austin Abrams as Bryan
• Genre: Horror / Action
• Release Date: September 18, 2026
• Current Domestic Tracking: $40M–$50M
• Current Global Forecast: About $80M
• Previous Domestic Franchise Opening Record: $26.6M
• Current Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% from 74 reviews at publication
• Distributor: Sony Pictures / Columbia Pictures

Frequently Asked Questions