According to EmpireCity Box Office, sales are "surging" for Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" after those great reviews landed yesterday. It's starting to look like a $60M+ opening weekend is coming for this film.
The walk-ups will be fueled by these great reviews, which we saw coming after those high test scores in the spring. It does look like Sony has another hit on their hands, and the timing couldn't be more perfect as "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is finally slowing down at the box office.
The reviews for "Resident Evil" have been stellar — 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic. In a decade in which Rotten Tomatoes scores matter more to a film's box office than some care to admit, that has definitely sparked more interest in the film. Add in Zach Cregger, who is quickly becoming a filmmaker who can attract an audience by name alone, and you have a hit on your hands.
By the way, the budget for "Resident Evil" was $75M, and the film is supposed to have a $90M+ worldwide weekend. Cregger was paid $20M to direct the movie, which raised some eyebrows in certain circles, as that's the type of fee only Scorsese, Tarantino and Spielberg get. I bet Sony has no regrets about that anymore.
Cregger is the real deal. He turned the low-budget "Barbarian" into a sleeper hit and the original non-IP filmmaking of "Weapons" into a blockbuster, and he's now going to deliver the best opening a "Resident Evil" movie has ever gotten ..
And to think Netflix had Cregger’s next film, "The Flood," ready to go but refused his demand for a robust theatrical release — Warner Bros. now has it, and it will be one of 2028's most anticipated films.
My thoughts on "Resident Evil" go up Saturday — you’ll be able to drop your own reviews in the comments.
The budget for "Resident Evil" was $75M, and the film is supposed to have a $90M+ worldwide weekend. Cregger was paid $20M to direct the movie. Money well spent.