"Resident Evil" Finds New Life With a Record Debut and Critical Acclaim

Sony Pictures' "Resident Evil" has brought the long-running horror franchise back to theaters with a record-breaking start.

The film debuted at No. 1 with $60 million in domestic ticket sales, the largest opening weekend in the 24-year history of the "Resident Evil" film franchise. In its second weekend, the film crossed $100 million domestically and reached an estimated $196 million worldwide. The critical response has been equally strong, with "Resident Evil" earning a 96% critic score and 91% verified audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The new film comes from writer-director Zach Cregger, who previously helmed "Weapons" and "Barbarian," and stars Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Kali Reis and Zach Cherry. Rather than revisiting the characters and storylines of earlier adaptations, Cregger builds an original story within the world of Capcom's influential video game series.

Abrams stars as Bryan, a medical courier whose seemingly routine delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital puts him in the middle of a rapidly escalating viral outbreak. Suddenly surrounded by infected creatures, Bryan must navigate a terrifying fight for survival despite being anything but the superpowered action hero audiences might expect.

That grounded protagonist marks one of the biggest departures from the seven previous live-action "Resident Evil" films. Earlier installments frequently centered on heavily armed characters with extraordinary abilities. Cregger's film instead embraces the survival-horror roots of the original 1996 video game, placing an ordinary person with limited resources against increasingly extraordinary threats.

The approach also captures the experience of playing the games without directly recreating their plots. Familiar elements including Raccoon City, the Umbrella Corporation, limited resources and increasingly dangerous creatures remain, but the film uses them to tell a new story centered on vulnerability, improvisation and survival.

The combination has earned acclaim from critics and fans of the games. Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting wrote that the film "encapsulates the survival horror and gameplay mechanics more thoroughly than any other RE adaptation to date," praising its ability to welcome newcomers while capturing the fundamentals of the games.

IGN's Tom Jorgensen similarly praised Cregger's interpretation of the source material, recommending audiences set aside preconceived ideas about what a "Resident Evil" movie should be and highlighting the filmmaker's appreciation for overwhelming odds, frightening enemies and the games' distinctive approach to survival horror.

That ability to make an established property feel new has also been credited as part of the film's early box office success.

"Putting Zach Cregger in charge of a major franchise like 'Resident Evil' [made] something familiar feel fresh and original again," Rentrak analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Variety. He also pointed to Gen Z's growing influence at the box office and the generation's enthusiasm for horror.

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