Zach Cregger Becomes Hollywood’s Top Hitmaker After Record Box Office Opening

Writer-director Zach Cregger’s horror-survival video game adaptation Resident Evil grossed $60 million in its three-day debut weekend to top the North American box office.

The opening weekend figure far outstripped initial expectations set by Sony Pictures, which had projected a $40 million debut and later adjusted expectations to a range between $53 million and $55 million. The film played in 3,684 North American theaters and carries a $75 million production budget, earning a B+ CinemaScore from audiences.

The domestic audience for the new release skewed younger and male, with 65 percent of ticket buyers identifying as male and 74 percent under the age of 35. Internationally, the reboot added $43.8 million from 62 overseas markets.

According to Rentrak data, the $60 million launch came just shy of the entire $60.1 million domestic run for the previous franchise high-water mark, 2010’s Resident Evil: Afterlife. The Milla Jovovich-starring series launched with the original 2002 film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and past installments have collectively grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide before the underperforming 2021 reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.

Critical Reception and Franchise Deviations

Cregger’s take on the property generated early division online for its creative departures from video game canon, omitting fan-favorite characters like Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield while telling an original story centered on a medical courier, played by Austin Abrams, tasked with transporting biological materials across a zombie-infected Raccoon City. The cast also features Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser.

Despite those creative deviations, the film secured a 96 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 92 percent audience score, marking the highest critical response for any installment in the franchise. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Frank Scheck described the film as a propulsive, terrifying, and humorous thrill ride.

GamesRadar noted that Cregger focused on capturing the spirit, tone, and power progression of the games rather than directly adapting a specific title’s plot, a strategy that resonated with audiences looking for an accessible entry point.

Future Projects and Box Office Context

Following the success of his previous horror-thriller Weapons, which opened to $43.5 million in August 2025 for Warner Bros., Cregger faces questions regarding a potential sequel for the franchise. Ahead of the film’s release, Cregger told The Playlist that he is open to exploring where the story could go next.

However, the writer-director remains booked for upcoming projects, including the original sci-fi feature The Flood, a Weapons prequel titled Gladys centered on that film’s twiggy witch character, and a script for a Siren Head movie directed by Brian Duffield.

Elsewhere on the domestic chart, Warner Bros.’ Practical Magic 2 claimed second place in its second weekend with an estimated $12.2 million, bringing its total to roughly $50 million, while Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day took third place with $6.5 million in its eighth weekend to reach a North American cumulative total of approximately $944.5 million.