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Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' Rakes in $60M Opening Weekend
Confirmed
In Short: Zach Cregger's horror reboot of the 'Resident Evil' franchise has earned $60 million at the domestic box office, setting a new franchise record. The film, which premiered this weekend, has also achieved the franchise's best CinemaScore ever with a B+ rating.
Zach Cregger's horror reboot of the 'Resident Evil' franchise has earned $60 million at the domestic box office, setting a new franchise record. The film, which premiered this weekend, has also achieved the franchise's best CinemaScore ever with a B+ rating.
The original 'Resident Evil' game was a smash hit when it came out in 1996 on the original Sony PlayStation, and it has since become one of the most popular video game series in the world.
Cregger's film, which follows Bryan, an original character played by Austin Abrams, adheres to the basic formula of the survival horror genre established by the original game.
Cregger's approach to the franchise is described as intimate and less-is-more, focusing on nail-biting, visceral horror without relying on recognizable characters or storylines from the games.
Cregger's film has been hailed as the 'best video game adaptation of all time' and one of the best horror movies in recent memory, with social media reactions overwhelmingly positive.
Cregger has demonstrated a willingness to tell stories that jump between characters, perspectives, and timelines, as seen in his previous films 'Weapons' and 'Barbarian'.
The film's success is also reflected in its international performance, with a worldwide total of $108.3M, surpassing the $70M WW reported opening of last year’s 'Weapons'.
South Africa is opening on Sept. 23 while Central Asia is Sept. 24, with the film's $48.3M international debut being the best for a horror movie this year.
In terms of pure international debuts for a horror movie this year, 'Resident Evil' has outperformed 'Backrooms' with a $36.6M debut.
Cregger's 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.
What this adds
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil has set a new franchise record with a $60 million opening weekend, surpassing previous entries in the series.
Background
Zach Cregger's straightforward take on Resident Evil strips the story down to its basics, making for a thrilling horror experience.
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil reboot has earned $60 million at the domestic box office, setting a new franchise record. The film, which premiered this weekend, has also achieved the franchise's best CinemaScore ever with a B+ rating.
Resident Evil, also known as Biohazard in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter, and first-person games, with players typically surviving in environments inhabited by zombies and other mutated creatures.
A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons can perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket.
What's confirmed
- Zach Cregger's horror reboot of the 'Resident Evil' franchise has earned $60 million at the domestic box office, setting a new franchise record. The film, which premiered this weekend, has also achieved the franchise's best CinemaScore ever with a B+ rating.
- The original 'Resident Evil' game was a smash hit when it came out in 1996 on the original Sony PlayStation, and it has since become one of the most popular video game series in the world.
- Cregger's film, which follows Bryan, an original character played by Austin Abrams, adheres to the basic formula of the survival horror genre established by the original game.
- Cregger's approach to the franchise is described as intimate and less-is-more, focusing on nail-biting, visceral horror without relying on recognizable characters or storylines from the games.
- Cregger's film has been hailed as the 'best video game adaptation of all time' and one of the best horror movies in recent memory, with social media reactions overwhelmingly positive.
- Cregger has demonstrated a willingness to tell stories that jump between characters, perspectives, and timelines, as seen in his previous films 'Weapons' and 'Barbarian'.
- The film's success is also reflected in its international performance, with a worldwide total of $108.3M, surpassing the $70M WW reported opening of last year’s 'Weapons'.
- South Africa is opening on Sept. 23 while Central Asia is Sept. 24, with the film's $48.3M international debut being the best for a horror movie this year.
- In terms of pure international debuts for a horror movie this year, 'Resident Evil' has outperformed 'Backrooms' with a $36.6M debut.
- Cregger's 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.
What's still developing
- Doug Jamieson, of The Jam Report, external, awarded four stars and said Cregger "understands adaptation as translation rather than imitation".
- But in the lead-up to the film’s release, Cregger’s spent a lot of time defending himself against complaints he’s cashing in on the Resident Evil name.
- That means that while Cregger’s Resident Evil doesn’t duplicate the games’ popular characters and story, it encapsulates the survival horror and gameplay mechanics more thoroughly than any other RE adaptation to date while welcoming unfamiliar newcomers with open arms.
- Enter the first zombie encounter, which Cregger mines for every bit of nail-biting tension possible before unleashing the scares in earnest.
- While Resident Evil is a lean, propulsive adrenaline rush that never stops moving in its efficient 90-minute runtime, Austin Abrams is the glue that holds it all together and ensures the audience remains at the edge of their seat, anxious yet hopeful the plucky protagonist can somehow evade the next gruesome attack.
- Cregger recently revealed that he actually cut a lot of jokes after feedback from test screenings.
- No one is blending horror and comedy better than Cregger at the moment.
- #ResidentEvil may not feature recognizable characters/storylines, but by tapping into the relentless tension of the games, Zach Cregger has actually delivered the most faithful take yet.
- Incredible title drop, Austin Abrams is hilarious to watch stumble around killing zombies, 10/10 pic.twitter.com/A2QBPsMN31 Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL…..
- Resident Evil wastes very little time getting started, and once the outbreak begins, there is rarely an opportunity to breathe.
- There have been plenty of adaptations of Capcom’s famous video game series to the big screen over the years, but the new Resident Evil takes a surprisingly simple approach.
- Rather than attempting to cram fan-favorite characters, sprawling mythology, and years of video game lore into one movie, director Zach Cregger strips the story down to its most basic premise: one person, one destination, and a city overrun by zombies.