The new Resident Evil movie has exceeded initial box office predictions, raking in $108.3 million globally during its opening weekend. The film earned $60 million in North America and an additional $48.3 million worldwide, comfortably surpassing the projected $40 million to $50 million.
This opening performance has already positioned the film ahead of several previous live-action Resident Evil adaptations. It has surpassed the lifetime box office total of 2021's Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which grossed $41.9 million. The new movie is also on track to potentially out-earn the first three films in the franchise.
However, it still has a significant way to go to beat the franchise's highest earner, 2016's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which starred Milla Jovovich and achieved a global total of $312 million. The franchise's box office history includes Resident Evil (2002) with $102.9 million, Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) with $129.3 million, Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) with $147.7 million, Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) with $300 million, and Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) with $240 million.
Prior to its release, the movie generated considerable buzz and has garnered critical acclaim, achieving a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 140 reviews, making it the highest-rated video game movie to date. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 80 out of 100 based on 32 reviews. GameSpot's review praised the film as an exciting and visceral adaptation, noting that director Zach Cregger's decision to deviate from the established video game characters and storylines allowed for a fresh perspective on the Resident Evil universe.