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Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' Surpasses First Film's Lifetime Gross

5:03 PM ETConfirmed

Entertainment Desk

In Short: Zach Cregger's horror reboot of the 'Resident Evil' franchise grossed $108.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, surpassing the first film's lifetime gross.

Zach Cregger’s horror reboot of the 'Resident Evil' franchise grossed $108.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, surpassing the first film's lifetime gross of $103 million.

The film, produced by TriStar Pictures, Constantin Film, and Davis Films, opened to massive success, marking the best start for the franchise ever.

In terms of pure international debuts for a horror movie this year, 'Resident Evil' earned $48.3 million, the best for the genre, surpassing 'Backrooms' which made $36.6 million.

The film's opening weekend performance is 66% over Cregger’s previous film 'Weapons,' which grossed $70 million worldwide.

Cregger’s approach to the film focused on the thrill of playing the long-running survival horror series rather than getting bogged down in lore.

With Austin Abrams as the lead, the film is frequently hilarious without losing the scares that made the series popular.

Cregger’s adaptation, which does not feature recognizable characters or storylines from the games, has been praised for its faithful take on the franchise.

The simplicity of the premise— one person, one destination, and a city overrun by zombies— is what makes the film work so well.

The film’s success is a testament to Cregger’s ability to balance horror and comedy, with audiences and critics alike giving it high praise.

Cregger’s previous films, 'Weapons' and 'Barbarian,' have shown promise, but 'Resident Evil' marks a significant milestone in his career.

The film’s strong performance indicates that the bet on Cregger was a wise one, with the franchise grossing over $1 billion globally.

The film’s success is a clear indication that Cregger’s approach to the franchise resonated with audiences, setting a new benchmark for the series.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• Zach Cregger’s horror reboot of the 'Resident Evil' franchise grossed $108.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, surpassing the first film's lifetime gross of $103 million.
• The film, produced by TriStar Pictures, Constantin Film, and Davis Films, opened to massive success, marking the best start for the franchise ever.
• In terms of pure international debuts for a horror movie this year, 'Resident Evil' earned $48.3 million, the best for the genre, surpassing 'Backrooms' which made $36.6 million.
• The film's opening weekend performance is 66% over Cregger’s previous film 'Weapons,' which grossed $70 million worldwide.
• Cregger’s approach to the film focused on the thrill of playing the long-running survival horror series rather than getting bogged down in lore.
• With Austin Abrams as the lead, the film is frequently hilarious without losing the scares that made the series popular.
• Cregger’s adaptation, which does not feature recognizable characters or storylines from the games, has been praised for its faithful take on the franchise.
• The simplicity of the premise— one person, one destination, and a city overrun by zombies— is what makes the film work so well.
• The film’s success is a testament to Cregger’s ability to balance horror and comedy, with audiences and critics alike giving it high praise.
• Cregger’s previous films, 'Weapons' and 'Barbarian,' have shown promise, but 'Resident Evil' marks a significant milestone in his career.
• The film’s strong performance indicates that the bet on Cregger was a wise one, with the franchise grossing over $1 billion globally.
• The film’s success is a clear indication that Cregger’s approach to the franchise resonated with audiences, setting a new benchmark for the series.

What's still developing

• South Africa is opening on Sept. 23 while Central Asia is Sept. 24.
• Resident Evil is 66% over Weapons, 33% above A Quiet Place: Day One, and 18% ahead of Alien: Romulus on a like-for-like basis at current exchange rates.
• And there’s 13% of foreign markets left to go, and they’re big territories for the franchise, i.e.
• Final Chapter ‘s $159.5M in the Middle Kingdom is looked at as an anomaly: Just a perfect place in time and space for a Resident Evil in regards to the types of U.S.
• But that energy is unrelenting, and it keeps Resident Evil humming for almost its entire 90-minute runtime.
• Thankfully, Resident Evil director and co-writer Zach Cregger understands the larger appeal of the series beyond knowing the difference between a T-Virus and a G-Virus.
• Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil made me recall that moment from Silent Hill.
• As promised by Cregger in multiple interviews promoting the film, Resident Evil contains very few overt references to the larger Resident Evil franchise.
• But the whole film expertly expresses the feeling of playing a Resident Evil game.
• And then he gets stuck in a Resident Evil game – and there is no Leon to whisk him away on a jet ski.
• From that point forward, Bryan reacts to everything not as a Resident Evil protagonist, but as a player of the games.
• The director and co-writer said test audiences thought the earliest version of his horror movie was 'too funny.' What do 'Resident Evil' fans want from a movie?

Sources

• ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videoslink
• Anime News Networklink
• BBClink
• Comic Basicslink
• Comicbookmovielink
• Comingsoonlink
• Deadlinelink
• Decoding Everythinglink
• Empireonlinelink
• FanBoltlink
• Game Informerlink
• IndieWirelink
• JoBlolink
• Kotakulink
• MTSU Sidelineslink
• SlashFilmlink
• Sony Pictures Entertainment / YouTube — video link