Overview
- The Zach Cregger-directed Resident Evil opened in roughly 3,500 North American theaters on Sept. 18, 2026 and posted franchise-best Thursday previews of about $8–9 million.
- Critics have overwhelmingly praised the film’s ‘gameplay-first’ approach, with the reboot holding roughly a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and many reviews calling it one of the best video-game-to-film adaptations.
- Cregger’s movie tells an original story set in the Resident Evil universe rather than reusing established game characters, a choice that produced strong critical response alongside vocal online backlash from some fans.
- The film carries a reported $75 million production budget and early box-office trackers moved studio projections upward from a $40 million three-day opening into a $60–70 million range based on previews and reviews.
- Studios and analysts say full opening-weekend receipts and early audience word-of-mouth will be the decisive signal for whether Sony pursues sequels or continues this new, gameplay-focused direction for the franchise.