‘Resident Evil’ opens atop North American box office with franchise-best $60 million debut

Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” opened atop the North American box office, taking in an estimated $60 million from 3,684 theatres in the U.S. and Canada during its first weekend, Sony Pictures said Sunday.

The debut is the best for the video game-inspired franchise, which had released seven previous films since 2002, and exceeds the full domestic runs of most earlier entries. The exception is 2010’s “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” which earned $60.1 million domestically, without adjusting for inflation.

Austin Abrams stars as a medical courier whose final job of the night sends him into a fight against infected creatures in Raccoon City. The film has a 95 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score. PostTrak exit polling found its audience was 66 per cent male and 75 per cent under 35, while CinemaScore audiences gave it a B+.

Cregger’s earlier horror films also performed strongly at the box office. “Barbarian” grossed more than $46 million on a budget below $5 million, while “Weapons” earned $270 million on a $38 million budget. Rentrak marketplace trends head Paul Dergarabedian said Cregger has become a recognizable name in horror and can make a major franchise feel fresh.

“Resident Evil” reportedly cost $75 million to produce, excluding marketing and promotion. It earned $48.3 million internationally, bringing its worldwide launch total to $108.3 million. Rentrak said horror films this year, including “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” have generated more than $1.1 billion at the domestic box office.

“Practical Magic 2” placed second with $12.2 million from 4,163 North American theatres, down about 59 per cent from its weak opening weekend. Its $7 million international haul brought its global total to $76.8 million. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was third with $6.5 million in its eighth weekend, lifting its domestic total to $944.5 million. “The Odyssey” was fourth with $4.9 million in its 10th weekend, followed by “Coyote vs. Acme” with $4.5 million.

John Wilson’s documentary “The History of Concrete” earned $90,000 from one screen at New York’s IFC Center. Only “Parasite,” with $119,407, has made more there in a single weekend.

Rentrak’s estimated Friday-to-Sunday domestic top 10, with final figures due Monday, was: “Resident Evil,” $60 million; “Practical Magic 2,” $12.2 million; “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $6.5 million; “The Odyssey,” $4.9 million; “Coyote vs. Acme,” $4.5 million; “Runner,” $3.2 million; “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace,” $3.1 million; the 40th-anniversary re-release of “Transformers: The Movie,” $3.1 million; “The Weight,” $2.3 million; and “Buddy,” $1.9 million.