Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Becomes the Biggest Movie in the Horror Franchise’s History
The ‘Resident Evil’ film series has had a long and uneven run on the big screen. Starting with the 2002 original, Milla Jovovich led 6 films as Alice, before the 2021 reboot ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ stumbled with just $42 million worldwide on a $25 million budget.
That made Sony’s latest attempt a big gamble. The studio handed the franchise to Zach Cregger, the horror filmmaker behind ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Weapons’, and his take on Raccoon City has turned into one of the biggest success stories of the fall.
Now Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ has reached a major milestone. According to Variety, the film has earned $157.399 million in North America and $242.6 million overseas, for a worldwide total of exactly $400 million.
That makes it the highest-grossing installment in the franchise. The new film has passed ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’, which previously held the record with $312 million globally.
It’s also Cregger’s biggest film by a wide margin. ‘Barbarian’ earned $46 million, while ‘Weapons’ grossed $270 million worldwide. The film got off to a strong start in September. It opened to $60 million domestically and about $108 million globally, easily the best debut in the franchise’s history.
New trailer for Zach Cregger’s ‘RESIDENT EVIL.’ In theaters on September 18. https://t.co/6TMODXfTWg
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 23, 2026
The international haul has been driven by several key markets. China leads with $71.4 million, followed by the UK at $19.4 million and Mexico at $12.7 million. With a production budget of $75 million, the film has become a strong win for Sony. Variety noted that it held up well through October, giving it impressive staying power for a horror release.
The reviews have helped too. The film holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 299 reviews and a 79 on Metacritic, making it the best-reviewed film in the franchise. It’s also the highest-rated movie based on a video game on both sites. Audiences gave it a “B+” CinemaScore, the best grade ever for a ‘Resident Evil’ film.
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
Rather than bringing back familiar faces, Cregger built the film around a new lead. Austin Abrams stars as Bryan Hodukavich, a medical courier delivering a stabilizer to Raccoon City General Hospital in the middle of a zombie outbreak caused by an Umbrella serum.
The supporting cast includes Zach Cherry, Paul Walter Hauser, Kali Reis, Will Merrick and Griffin Newman. Sara Paxton voices Michelle, Bryan’s girlfriend. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures with Constantin Film, Davis Films, Vertigo Entertainment and PlayStation Productions, among others. It premiered in Los Angeles before playing at Fantastic Fest and opening in US theaters on September 18.
The milestone gives Sony another reason to celebrate this year. The studio’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ earned $2.5 billion worldwide, making it the 3rd-biggest film ever. Not every Sony release has been as lucky.
Variety pointed out that Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Social Reckoning’ and Taika Waititi’s ‘Klara and the Sun’ have both struggled at the box office. With Cregger’s reboot setting new franchise records, Raccoon City looks set to stay on the big screen. The question now is how quickly Sony moves on to the next chapter.
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