The new Resident Evil hits theaters today, and Sony has chosen an alternative path: they accepted the authorial approach proposed by Zach Cregger, one of the most valued directors in the horror world, after the favorable reception of Barbarian and Weapons. Not only does this choice appear to have paid off on the critical front, generally very convinced by the result, but above all the box office is expected to benefit from the move, as American analysts forecast a record-breaking first weekend in the USA for the popular video game brand Capcom, in its twenty-year cinematic history.
Resident Evil, first weekend in the US projected to reach $50 million
Instead of reworking the stories and characters of Capcom’s video games, Zach Cregger with his Resident Evil has chosen a path of homage, thrusting a new, disoriented protagonist into a cruel and splatter-filled horror universe. Thanks to the positive reviews, as well as the curiosity stirred within the fandom by this approach (critics or fans alike, it will be seen in theaters!), a first American weekend at the box office between $40 and $50 million, with the possibility of nudging $60 is anticipated. Considering that for a major studio the budget is reported to be around $75 million (Deadline source), it would mark a remarkable opening, not to mention that almost none of the previous adaptations, most directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich since 2002, would have ever imagined such a debut: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2017 did not reach $14 million (inflation-adjusted to about $19.1 million), while the best from this standpoint, Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), opened with $26.6 million (around $40 million today). Regarding the disastrous outcome of the immediately preceding reboot attempt, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) leaves little to tell: it debuted at $8.85 million. It’s also worth noting that since Resident Evil: Retribution (2012, again from the Anderson-Jovovich team), Sony had not risked such a comparatively high budget, that instance around $65 million; yet the early box-office expectations seem to have vindicated the almost blank check extended to the astute Cregger.
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