Resident Evil Reboot Shatters Franchise Records With $60 Million Opening

The latest installment of the Resident Evil franchise has shattered box office records, opening to a massive $60 million domestically and $108.3 million worldwide. The strong debut, driven by positive reviews and audience word-of-mouth, marks a significant comeback for the long-running horror series. Directed by Zach Cregger, the film easily surpassed the previous franchise opening record of $26.6 million set by Resident Evil Afterlife in 2010. Its worldwide opening weekend also exceeded the total lifetime gross of the original 2002 film, which earned $103 million globally. The performance is a personal best for Cregger, whose previous film, Weapons, opened to $43 million domestically last year. Industry tracking had projected a domestic opening in the $40 million to $50 million range, but the film significantly outperformed those estimates. A surge in business on Friday and Saturday, fueled by strong word-of-mouth following Thursday night previews, propelled the final numbers higher. The film cost an estimated $75 million to produce. Audience and critical reception has been strong.