Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Reboot Smashes a Franchise Record and Raccoon City Is Cashing In
Few video game adaptations have a worse reputation than the live-action ‘Resident Evil’ movies, which spent years as a punchline for critics even as they kept collecting ticket sales. Zach Cregger’s reboot was supposed to be a risky reset, and instead it has turned into a genuine event. The ‘Resident Evil’ reboot box office milestone is the latest proof that audiences were hungry for a scarier return to Raccoon City.
The film premiered in Los Angeles on September 15 and hit US theaters on September 18, produced by Sony’s Columbia Pictures banner with Constantin Film. Cregger co-wrote the script with Shay Hatten, and Sony reportedly won a bidding war for it against studios including Warner Bros. and Netflix. Expectations were already high, thanks to Cregger’s run of horror hits.
The numbers are now official. According to Variety, the film has climbed to exactly $400 million globally, made up of $157.399 million in North America and $242.6 million overseas. That makes it the highest-grossing installment in the 24-year-old franchise, topping 2016’s ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’ and its $312 million.
It is also Cregger’s biggest film to date, ahead of 2025’s ‘Weapons’ at $270 million worldwide and 2022’s ‘Barbarian’ at $46 million. International audiences have driven much of the surge, with China contributing $71.4 million, the United Kingdom $19.4 million and Mexico $12.7 million across 67 markets. Projections suggest it could finish its theatrical run between $415 million and $425 million.
The reboot opened to a series-best $60 million domestically and $108 million globally, shattering the previous franchise opening record set by 2010’s ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ at $26 million. Pre-release tracking had pointed to $40 million to $50 million, so it comfortably beat expectations. The audience skewed young and male, with exit polls showing 66% male and 75% under 35, and it earned a B+ CinemaScore.
The film has shown real staying power too. By mid-October it had reached $320.2 million worldwide, and it earned an estimated $3 million in its sixth US weekend. It sits just behind ‘Backrooms,’ which earned $400.6 million, among the highest-grossing horror films.
This isn’t just a commercial story. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 96% critics score from 286 reviews and a 91% audience score. It also has a 79 on Metacritic, which is the highest for any ‘Resident Evil’ movie and has made it one of the best-reviewed video game adaptations ever.
That’s a remarkable swing for a franchise that critics rarely embraced. The 2002 original sits at 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 2021’s ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ scored 30%. Reviewers have praised Cregger’s direction and Austin Abrams’ performance as Bryan, a medical courier battling infected creatures during an outbreak in Raccoon City.
Sony reportedly produced the film for $75 million, which makes the $400 million haul look like a clear win. A caution applies, though: ticket revenue is shared with exhibitors, and production spending excludes other release costs, so the gross can’t simply be treated as profit. Even so, the numbers tell a very different story than the 2021 reboot, which earned $42 million worldwide against a $25 million budget.
The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser, with production taking place in Prague from October 2025 through January 2026. The film also arrives during a strong year for the brand, with the new game ‘Resident Evil Requiem’ considered one of 2026’s best.
The first trailer for Zach Cregger’s ‘RESIDENT EVIL’ has been released. In theaters on September 18. https://t.co/eeVCAGzy6M
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 30, 2026
The film is reportedly heading to digital platforms on November 3, with Netflix expected to be its first subscription streaming home in the US under Sony’s existing deal. A sequel hasn’t been confirmed in the reports available, but a hit of this size naturally raises the question. Cregger has already shown he can turn a horror premise into a mainstream phenomenon, and Sony will have plenty of reason to ask him what happens next.
Should Zach Cregger return to direct a sequel to his record-breaking Resident Evil reboot?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
