'Resident Evil' Could Have Biggest U.S. Opening Week in the Franchise's History

According to Deadline, the new Resident Evil, directed by Zach Cregger, has already started attracting attention at the box office even before the weekend. The film grossed between $8 million and US$9 million in previews, registering the best performance of the franchise in this regard.

The projection for the weekend is between $40 million and $50 million, with industry estimates suggesting the film could surpass that range.

If it surpasses $26.6 million, Resident Evil will have the biggest opening in the franchise in the United States, a record currently held by Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010).

It's also worth highlighting that the new film has a 96% approval rating from critics and 91% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, surpassing the first film in the franchise, released in 2002, which previously held the best audience rating with 67%.

Everything you need to know about the new Resident Evil

Starring Austin Abrams, the film follows a medical deliveryman who finds himself in the middle of an outbreak of infected creatures.

The cast also includes Paul Walter Hauser (Fantastic Four: First Steps), Kali Reis (True Detective), Zach Cherry (Severance), and Johnno Wilson (I Love That For You).

The new version of Resident Evil arrives in theaters on September 17th, with Shay Hatten (Ballerina) handling the script and Zach Cregger (Weapons) directing.

When the reboot was announced, four studios were vying for the film, with Warner and Netflix emerging as some of the leading contenders. However, the project will remain with Sony and is being overseen by Columbia Pictures.

Interestingly, this is the second reboot of the franchise, which had Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City in 2021, as well as a Netflix series that left a bitter taste for fans of the Capcom game series.