🧟‍♂️ 'Resident Evil' Reboot Shatters North American Box Office Records

Opening with a towering $60 million in its debut weekend, the horror film comfortably claimed the top spot, handily exceeding the most optimistic forecasts from both analysts and Sony Pictures. This marks the highest-grossing opening weekend in the history of the entire film franchise.

Remarkably, in just its first three days, Cregger’s film nearly equaled the total domestic lifetime gross of the previous record-holder in the series, Resident Evil: Afterlife ($60.1 million).

Drivers of Success and Audience Reception:

• Critical Acclaim: The film has become the highest-rated entry in the franchise, earning a 96% “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 92% audience score.
• Demographic Profile: The core audience leaned heavily male (65%), with 74% of moviegoers under the age of 35.
• International Earnings: Overseas, the film added an impressive $43.8 million across 62 markets against a production budget of $75 million.

The plot centers on a medical courier battling against time to deliver a vital package amidst a deadly viral outbreak in Raccoon City.

The triumph of Resident Evil underscores a banner year for the horror genre, with total theatrical box-office revenue for horror films in 2026 already eclipsing $1.166 billion—surpassing the previous record set in 2017.

Elsewhere at the box office, the sequel Practical Magic 2, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, held strong in second place with $12.2 million for the weekend ($50 million cumulative). Meanwhile, the blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day secured third place, bringing its domestic total to $944.5 million as it closes in on the historic $1 billion landmark.