In a successful debut, Zach Cregger's “Resident Evil” has revitalized the North American box office by earning $60 million over its opening weekend. This Sony Pictures release was screened in 3,684 theaters across the United States and Canada, marking the highest opening weekend for the video game-inspired franchise, which has seen seven previous film adaptations since 2002.

This impressive figure not only surpasses the earnings of most earlier films in the series during their entire domestic runs but is almost on par with “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” released in 2010, which garnered $60.1 million in total gross before inflation adjustments. Cregger's film features Austin Abrams, who plays a medical courier fighting infected creatures in Raccoon City during what becomes a chaotic final job of the night.

Critics have responded favorably to Cregger’s Resident Evil, as evidenced by its remarkable 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience insights reveal that the demographic was predominantly male (66%) and younger than 35 (75%), with a CinemaScore grade of B+. Cregger's prior horror films have exhibited unique box office trajectories, countering typical horror genre trends where earnings often decline sharply after the initial weekend. Notably, “Barbarian” achieved over $46 million with a production budget under $5 million, while “Weapons” grossed an impressive $270 million from a $38 million budget.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, emphasized Cregger's rising status in the horror genre, noting, “Zach Cregger is a household name in the world of horror.” Dergarabedian further asserted that certain directors can carry the weight of a film’s success on their shoulders, aptly describing the relationship between Cregger and the landmark franchise.

The production budget for Resident Evil was approximately $75 million, not including marketing and promotional costs. The film also grossed $48.3 million internationally, resulting in a total global opening of $108.3 million. Dergarabedian succinctly summarized the film's success by stating, “Zach Cregger plus big franchise equals big bucks.” He highlighted how the director has managed to present the franchise in a refreshing and contemporary manner.

Collectively, the horror film sector has performed well this year, achieving over $1.1 billion at the domestic box office, with hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” contributing substantially to this figure. In terms of box office standings for the weekend, Practical Magic 2 took second place, experiencing a 59% drop after its unimpressive opening weekend, earning $12.2 million from 4,163 North American theaters. An additional $7 million from international markets brought its global total to $76.8 million.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day came in third with $6.5 million during its eighth weekend, lifting its domestic earnings to $944.5 million. The fourth position was claimed by The Odyssey, which added $4.9 million, while Coyote vs. Acme rounded out the top five with a gross of $4.5 million.

A noteworthy limited release was the documentary The History of Concrete, directed by comedian John Wilson, which achieved a remarkable $90,000 from a single screening at the IFC Center in New York. This figure is only surpassed by the acclaimed film Parasite, which earned $119,407 in its single-weekend screening at the same venue.

As the box office figures were finalized on Monday, the weekend’s top ten movies by domestic earnings were revealed, underscoring the success of Cregger’s Resident Evil and its impact on the current film landscape:

• 1. Resident Evil, $60 million.
• 2. Practical Magic 2, $12.2 million.
• 3. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, $6.5 million.
• 4. The Odyssey, $4.9 million.
• 5. Coyote vs. Acme, $4.5 million.
• 6. Runner, $3.2 million.
• 7. Daniel and the Fiery Furnace, $3.1 million.
• 8. Transformers: The Movie (40th anniversary re-release), $3.1 million.
• 9. The Weight, $2.3 million.
• 10. Buddy, $1.9 million.