'Resident Evil' Is Now One of Horror's Biggest Modern Hits, and Zach Cregger Isn't Done Yet

Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ was never going to be an easy sell. The filmmaker went from the micro-budget scares of ‘Barbarian’, which grossed over $46 million on a budget under $5 million, to ‘Weapons’, which pulled in $270 million worldwide. Handing him one of gaming’s most famous horror brands felt like a gamble that could swing either way.

The big-screen history of the franchise didn’t help. The original film series that began in 2002 peaked with ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’ at $314.1 million, and the 2021 reboot ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ managed just $41.9 million worldwide. Cregger was walking into a series that audiences had already learned to approach with caution.

That caution is long gone. Cregger’s version, released September 18, has now crossed $400 million worldwide, with about $158.4 million from North America and $242.6 million from overseas. It has edged past ‘Backrooms’ at roughly $400.5 million, and it is only the 14th horror film ever to cross $400 million, unadjusted for inflation.

Among horror releases of this century, that lands it in 10th place on the all-time rankings. ‘Prometheus’ ($403.4 million) and ‘Signs’ ($408.3 million) are still just ahead, though projections of a $420 million to $425 million finish would carry ‘Resident Evil’ past both.

Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL surpasses SIGNS and BACKROOMS to become one of the 10 highest-grossing horror films of the 21st century. Cregger has recently confirmed that he wants to create a sequel to the movie. https://t.co/2QPkoqdvz4
— Global Box Office (@GlobalBoxOffice) November 8, 2026

The run started with a bang. ‘Resident Evil’ opened to $60 million domestically and $108.3 million globally, the biggest debut in series history, against a production budget of $75 million. A China release later pushed it back to the top of the global weekend chart in its fourth frame and made it Cregger’s highest-grossing film ever.

Critics and audiences have been on board, too. The film sits at 95% with critics and 91% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier whose last job of the night turns into a fight against infected creatures in Raccoon City, with Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry and Kali Reis in the cast. Abrams, who also appeared in ‘Weapons’, was the only actor Cregger considered for the lead.

The opening crowd skewed young, with 75% of ticket buyers under 35 and men making up 66% of the audience, according to exit polling reported by the AP. At a $75 million budget, the reboot has also cleared the usual break-even point, which tends to sit at around double a film’s budget. It is also the highest-grossing of the 8 live-action films in the series.

‘Resident Evil’ is the third horror release of this year to reach $400 million, joining ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’. ‘Obsession’ has gone on to pass $500 million. Horror had already generated more than $1.1 billion at the domestic box office by the time Cregger’s film opened.

Hardcore fans of the games reacted very differently. A vocal group objected to an original story that follows an ordinary person through the Raccoon City Incident instead of retelling the games, and Cregger has since acknowledged he was naive to expect a warmer welcome.

Ahead of release, he had also said the story would be entirely original and would not feature fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy. Even so, the film still draws on the series, with reports noting it took a lot of inspiration from ‘Resident Evil 2’.

With the box office secured, the obvious question is what comes next. Cregger told The Playlist in September, “I can’t help thinking about other places this story could go.” He has also said on a podcast that he would want some hand in future films and has an idea for where the franchise could head. That stands in contrast to ‘Barbarian’, where he has said a sequel never crossed his mind because its story is so foul.

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

There is still no official word on a sequel, and it remains unclear whether Cregger would direct one. For now, the film is rolling into its home release, arriving on digital platforms including Prime Video this week and reportedly climbing to No. 1 on streaming.