Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Just Overtook ‘Pokémon’ in the Video Game Movie Franchise Rankings

For decades, video game movies carried a reputation as box office poison. Studios kept trying, audiences kept staying away, and critics kept reaching for the same punchlines. Then a wave of successful adaptations changed the conversation, and the rankings of the genre started to look very different.

Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ is one of the latest examples of that shift. The eighth live-action film in the series is based on Capcom’s survival horror franchise and arrived in theaters on September 18 from Sony. It was a big swing for a property whose last reboot, 2021’s ‘Welcome to Raccoon City,’ flopped badly.

Now the numbers have caught up to the praise. According to the latest tracking, ‘Resident Evil’ has officially surpassed ‘Pokémon‘ to become the second highest-grossing film franchise based on video games.

Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL has officially surpassed POKÉMON to become the second highest-grossing film franchise based on video games: 1️⃣SUPER MARIO — $2.4bn (Universal) 2️⃣RESIDENT EVIL — $1.66bn (Sony) 3️⃣POKÉMON — $1.5bn (several) 4️⃣SONIC — $1.2bn (Skydance) https://t.co/miiDc9LFUL

— Global Box Office (@GlobalBoxOffice) October 26, 2026

The updated list looks like this: the ‘Super Mario’ films lead with $2.4 billion for Universal, followed by ‘Resident Evil’ with $1.66 billion for Sony. ‘Pokémon’ now sits third at $1.5 billion across several studios, and ‘Sonic’ is fourth with $1.2 billion for Skydance. It’s a striking jump for a franchise that, a few years ago, looked like a cautionary tale.

The gains come almost entirely from the new film. By the latest figures, it has grossed around $385 million worldwide, including roughly $153 million in North America and about $231 million internationally. That makes it the biggest ‘Resident Evil’ movie by a wide margin.

The film opened to $60 million domestically and $108.3 million worldwide, a franchise record by a large margin. The previous domestic opening record belonged to 2010’s ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife,’ which earned about $26.65 million. IMAX screenings accounted for $14.5 million of the opening, a record for a horror film in comparable markets.

The movie overtook ‘The Final Chapter,’ which earned $312.2 million, during its fourth weekend. It also passed the lifetime total of Cregger’s own ‘Weapons,’ which grossed $270.1 million worldwide, making this his biggest film yet. On a reported $75 million budget, that is a healthy profit for Sony.

The response has been just as strong. The film sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with Certified Fresh status, and its Popcornmeter audience score is 91%. It is also the highest-rated video game movie on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.

Austin Abrams leads the cast as Bryan, a medical courier who finds himself in a non-stop race for survival as one night collapses into chaos. Paul Walter Hauser, Kali Reis and Zach Cherry also star. Cregger co-wrote the script with Shay Hatten, and he even provides the voice on the hospital intercom.

It’s worth noting that ‘Resident Evil’ is not the top video game adaptation overall. ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ holds that title for a single film, followed by its sequel and ‘A Minecraft Movie.’ Family-friendly adaptations have long dominated the category, which makes a hard-R horror film’s ranking even more notable.

The earlier ‘Resident Evil’ films also deserve credit. The franchise was once the highest-grossing film series based on a video game, and the original 2002 movie earned about $103 million. The new film has now outgrossed that total in a single weekend.

Cregger’s film is the first entry in the series’ 24-year live-action history to be a genuine hit at home, clearing $100 million in North America when no previous installment had managed even a third of that. It was filmed in Prague from October 2025 to January 2026, after Cregger was hired in January 2025. He had just finished ‘Weapons,’ and the director’s reputation helped build goodwill before release.

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

Reports say a sequel has not been officially greenlit, but the box office results make one look likely. A film that has beaten expectations at every stage gives Sony every reason to keep going. For now, the studio can celebrate a rare feat in a genre that has often disappointed.

It’s a good moment for horror fans, game fans and anyone who remembers when a successful video game movie felt impossible.

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