Resident Evil 2026 Becomes The Franchise's Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

Resident Evil Just Broke The One Box Office Record It Had Left Published Oct 14, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. 2026's Resident Evil has been a major box office hit since the moment it came to theaters, and the final record it was chasing has finally been achieved. The horror video game movie directed by Zach Cregger and starring Austin Abrams has been in theaters for less than one month, but it's already amassed over $320 million at the worldwide box office. On the back of great reviews, a known IP, and a director on a hot streak (Cregger's original horror Weapons made over $270 million just last year), Resident Evil has blown past projections. Its opening weekend surged to $60.1 million, which was a record for the Resident Evil movie franchise and Cregger's directorial efforts. Carrying a franchise record $75 million budget, it was necessary for Resident Evil to put up series-high ticket sales to turn a profit. That happened quickly, with it becoming an undeniable box office success once it surpassed $200 million worldwide. It even became the franchise's first installment to cross $100 million domestically, and interest has persisted as audiences seek out one of the year's most entertaining movies. The film's legs and expanding overseas interest have now allowed one final record to fall. 2026's reboot follows seven other Resident Evil movies, and the latest is now officiallythe biggest of them all with its $323 million box office total. © Sony Pictures Releasing /Courtesy Everett Collection Milla Jovovich's previous Resident Evil movie franchise was quite successful financially, even if it was critically panned. That series peaked with its finale, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, in 2017. The sixth film starring Jovovich's Alice brought in a record $314 million worldwide, which is all the more impressive considering it flopped domestically, making only $26.8 million. Nearly 10 years later, that was the biggest record 2026's Resident Evil was chasing. But it was never a guarantee it would break it. Sony's first attempt at rebooting the video game franchise, 2021's Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, was a major box office flop. It grossed only $41.8 million worldwide. With Cregger not directly adapting the video games, there was a chance fans of this world would reject it. Rank Resident Evil Movie Domestic Box Office Worldwide Box Office 1) Resident Evil (2026) $140 million $323.1 million 2) Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) $26.8 million $314.1 million 3) Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) $60.1 million $300.2 million 4) Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) $42.3 million $240.6 million 5) Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) $50.6 million $149.8 million 6) Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) $51.2 million $129.3 million 7) Resident Evil (2002) $40.1 million $103.7 million 8) Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) $16.9 million $41.8 million Instead, audiences have taken to his vision for Resident Evil more than any other. The 2026 movie is far more popular than either of the previous first installments in the series; even factoring in inflation, 2002's Resident Evil's domestic total would be $78.2 million, or about half of what 2026's version made in a month. Cregger's movie is now poised to put a significant gap between it and the rest of the Resident Evil movies. The film has been a huge hit in China (grossing $40.7 million there in less than two weeks), with interest staying high in other countries and domestically. A $400+ million finish is now all but assured, which could make this the highest-grossing Resident Evil movie by over $100 million by the time everything is said and done. How Box Office Success Could Change The Future Of The Franchise This all sets up Resident Evil to take new shape as a franchise. Sony will certainly be interested in exploring ways to move forward with new entries. No sequel, spinoff, or standalone story in this continuity has yet to be announced, but one will come after these results. Cregger even confirmed he had ideas for more Resident Evil movies if the first proved to be successful. The question for Resident Evil will be how it decides to move forward. Cregger's vision had classic video game elements without any of the main characters, allowing a completely unfamiliar and bold story to unfold. Whether that is sustainable for future installments remains to be seen, as there will be an expectation from fans to see some of the franchise's biggest characters and storylines adapted for the big screen. What is clear is that there will be no going back to the action-heavy approach that defined the Jovovich era. Resident Evil's success as a gruesome and shocking horror movie (with some comedy) is the blueprint from which future entries should follow. After all, that approach and a relentless pace just gave the IP its biggest hit ever. Release Date September 18, 2026 Runtime 90 Minutes Director Zach Cregger Writers Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger Producers Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Miri Yoon, Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Zach Cregger, David Minkowski Cast