‘Resident Evil’ Is Overperforming Expectations, Now Projected for a $53M-$60M Opening Weekend

Horror reboots rarely enter their opening weekend with much room to exceed expectations, especially for a franchise that’s spent over two decades struggling to win over critics. Yet that’s exactly the position Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” found itself in heading into Saturday, as tracking numbers kept climbing well past where industry watchers initially pegged the film just days earlier.

Early in the week, “Resident Evil” was tracking for a roughly $40 million domestic opening, comparable to the $43.5 million debut of Cregger’s own “Weapons” last year. That projection didn’t hold for long. Once reviews landed and advance sales accelerated, the numbers kept climbing, and Saturday morning brought Deadline’s updated call: the film is now projected to earn between $53 million and $60 million in its domestic opening weekend.

That range makes “Resident Evil” both the highest-grossing opening of the franchise’s 24-year history and the biggest domestic debut of Cregger’s career, surpassing “Weapons” by a wide margin. Sony’s own internal call sits at $53 million to $55 million for the three-day weekend, while industry estimates and theatrical sources tracking stronger Saturday and Sunday numbers believe the film could climb as high as $60 million by the time final numbers are tallied.

If the film does hit that $60 million mark, it would land as the seventh-best opening for the month of September historically. Either outcome comfortably clears the franchise’s previous benchmark of $26.6 million, set by 2010’s “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” a record the new film effectively matched in a single day of business alone.

Much of that momentum traces back to the film’s reception. “Resident Evil” earned the franchise’s best-ever CinemaScore grade of B+, and PostTrak exit polling has shown a 71% definite-recommend score among general audiences, climbing to 76% among the 35-44 demographic and 74% among Latino and Hispanic moviegoers. Critics have been similarly enthusiastic, with the film holding a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of any entry in the series.

‘RESIDENT EVIL’ is overperforming and is now expected to earn $53M-$60M in its domestic opening weekend. • Highest of the franchise • Highest of Zach Cregger’s career https://t.co/6z4zymVtjL

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) September 19, 2026

Deadline noted that Saturday functions as a “do-or-die day” for tracking any film’s real staying power, and so far there’s no sign of a slowdown. Consensus estimates had Saturday landing around $20 million, only a modest dip from Friday’s $26.3 million haul, a pattern Deadline noted fits the franchise’s history of holding well between its Friday and Saturday numbers.

The first trailer for Zach Cregger's ‘RESIDENT EVIL’ has been released.

In theaters on September 18. pic.twitter.com/eeVCAGzy6M

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 30, 2026

“Resident Evil’s” strength is also boosting the broader weekend picture. With the film accounting for more than half of all grosses, the overall domestic box office for the weekend is projected to reach $111 million, up 27% from the previous weekend and 45% higher than the same mid-September frame in 2025.

With Saturday and Sunday numbers still rolling in, the final tally will determine exactly where “Resident Evil” lands within that $53 million to $60 million range. Either way, the film has already cemented itself as one of the clearest box office surprises of the fall season.

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