Movie theater operators are counting on “Resident Evil” to scare some life into the early fall box office. Sony’s horror-comedy reboot of the zombie-infested property is targeting a strong $40 million to $50 million in its domestic debut. With strong reviews and glowing word-of-mouth, rivals and independent tracking services believe that initial ticket sales will surpass $50 million and could near $60 million.
Sony spent $75 million to produce the movie, the second remake and eighth installment in the horror series. Exhibitors are particularly excited because this take on “Resident Evil” was directed by Zach Cregger, who electrified the box office with last August’s breakout hit “Weapons.” That R-rated movie, an original thriller about students who went missing in the middle of the night, opened to $43 million en route to sleeper hit status. The property was first adapted for the big screen in 2002’s “Resident Evil,” starring Milla Jovovich.
She reprised her role as Alice, a former security specialist and covert operative, in five follow-up films in the 2000s and 2010s. Those movies collectively generated $1 billion globally and were once the highest-grossing series based on video games. Sony attempted to reboot the property with 2021’s “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” a critical and commercial failure with $42 million worldwide against a $25 million budget.
All of the original “Resident Evil” films opened in the $20 million range (not adjusted for inflation), while “Welcome to Raccoon City” faltered with $5.3 million in its debut, so this reboot will easily rank as the largest opening weekend in the long-running franchise. The highest grossing installment is 2010’s “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” which launched to $26 million domestically and ended its theatrical run with $300 million globally. In the new “Resident Evil,” Cregger reunites with “Weapons” actor Austin Abrams, who stars as a medical courier who fights through a viral outbreak of infested monsters in Raccoon City.
Critics have praised the cinematic gorefest, with Variety’s Owen Gleiberman calling it “different, and much better, than the other ‘Resident Evil’ movies.” As this weekend’s only major release, “Resident Evil” won’t have any trouble securing the No. 1 spot on domestic box office charts. Elsewhere, “Practical Magic 2” will attempt to rebound after a rough start while mid-summer holdovers like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” will remain atop box office charts. Although this weekend is light on newcomers, the fall box office is expected to heat up before September ends.
Next weekend brings a trio of new movies, including Paramount’s Brad Pitt-led survival thriller “Heart of the Beast,” Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island” and A24’s “To Catch a Predator”-inspired “Primetime,” starring Robert Pattinson. There’s also Disney’s re-release of “Avengers: Endgame,” which is returning to theaters before “Avengers: Doomsday” opens in December. In the meantime, it’s Cregger and his band of zombie slayers to the rescue.
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