Resident Evil Opens $108.3M WW, Sets Franchise Record — SkimNews
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- Resident Evil opened to $108.3M WW, the franchise's biggest start, beating 2012's Resident Evil: Retribution ($70.6M) and outgrossing the 2002 original's entire $102.9M lifetime global run in one weekend.
- TriStar's film drew $48.3M internationally—the best international debut for a horror title this year—running 66% ahead of director Zach Cregger's previous best (Weapons at $70M WW), 33% above A Quiet Place: Day One, and 18% ahead of Alien: Romulus on a like-for-like basis.
- UK led international markets at $5.8M (vs. Afterlife's $2.5M there), with Mexico at $5.6M, while 13% of foreign markets remain—including Thailand (Sept. 24), Japan (Oct. 9), and China (undated)—with China historically delivering $159.5M for 2016's The Final Chapter.
- Ketchup Entertainment's Coyote Vs. Acme, rescued after Warner Bros wrote it off for $30M on a $70M production, is nearing $100M WW at $99M ($54.7M domestic, $44.3M abroad in 46 territories).
- Universal's The Odyssey crossed $1.72B WW in its tenth frame, becoming Universal's highest-grossing film ever, with Korea passing Avengers: Endgame to become the third biggest Hollywood movie of all-time in that territory.
- Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day reached $2.478B global in its eighth weekend, playing on 17,500 screens across 67 markets.
Why it matters: Resident Evil's $108.3M debut proves the 24-year-old IP can still deliver blockbuster numbers without Milla Jovovich, with international markets contributing $48.3M (66% ahead of Cregger's Weapons). With 13% of foreign territories—including China, which drove $159.5M for the franchise's 2016 peak—still to open, the film has a clear path past the series' $312M all-time high.
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