The live-action film adaptation of Capcom's fighting game franchise, Street Fighter, debuted with a domestic box office gross of $31 million. This figure falls considerably short of the $60 million opening weekend achieved by Resident Evil, another film based on a Capcom property, which continues to perform well in theaters.
Street Fighter's opening weekend performance also lagged behind Mortal Kombat 2, another fighting game adaptation released earlier this year. While its opening weekend earnings aligned with industry expectations, it did not reach blockbuster levels. The weekend's surprise success was the documentary You Can See Everything, which secured the second-highest opening for a documentary film released theatrically, earning $15 million.
The two Capcom adaptations took contrasting approaches. Street Fighter focused on incorporating well-known characters and fan service from the game series. In contrast, Resident Evil drew inspiration from the franchise's core themes and atmosphere to tell a new, original story, a strategy that appears to have resonated more strongly with audiences despite initial criticism for omitting game characters.
The comparative box office success of Resident Evil suggests that original narratives based on game elements may be more effective for film adaptations than directIP inclusions. Both films will continue their theatrical runs through the holiday season and face competition from other new releases.
According to Deadline, the top ten highest-grossing films of the weekend were:
- Street Fighter - $31 million
- You Can See Everything - $15 million
- Other Mommy - $8.35 million
- Whalefall - $8 million
- Sense and Sensibility - $7.25 million
- Verity - $6.2 million
- Resident Evil - $5.5 million
- Heart of the Beast - $4.83 million
- Jailer 2 - $3.25 million
- Forgotten Island - $2.25 million