The new Resident Evil film, which hit U.S. cinemas on Friday, September 18, (and September 16 in France) has quickly established itself as a critical darling. According to a report from Écran Large, the movie has been "warmly received by the press across the Atlantic," boasting an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 186 reviews. This critical success appears to be translating directly into box office triumph.

Estimates from Deadline indicate that the film is set to rake in approximately $60 million in domestic receipts by the end of its opening weekend. This figure not only marks the best North American debut for any film in the Resident Evil series but also surpasses the total domestic box office of nearly all its predecessors, excluding only Resident Evil: Afterlife, which earned $60.1 million over its entire run. To put this into perspective, Cregger's Resident Evil has outpaced the full domestic theatrical runs of films like Apocalypse ($51.2 million), Extinction ($50.6 million), and Retribution ($42.3 million) in just three days.

While it didn't quite reach the opening weekend heights of recent horror hits such as Scream 7 ($63.6 million), Backrooms ($81.4 million), or Conjuring: The Hour of Judgment ($84 million), its performance is nonetheless formidable. It notably outperformed Scream VI ($44.4 million), Sinners ($48 million), and Final Destination: Bloodlines ($51.6 million) in their respective opening weekends.

This robust opening is a testament to director Zach Cregger's growing reputation, following the success of his critically acclaimed horror film, Barbarian, which had an opening of $43.5 million and went on to become a significant hit. The new Resident Evil has already eclipsed that benchmark, demonstrating Cregger's ability to deliver both critical and commercial success.

However, the film's budget, reported by Variety to be between $75-80 million (excluding marketing), is the highest in the franchise's history. This places it at the upper end for contemporary horror productions, exceeding the costs of even major genre entries like Scream 7 ($45 million) and Conjuring: The Hour of Judgment ($55 million). While this higher investment might impact its overall profitability ratio, Écran Large suggests the film is still on track to be a substantial success throughout its theatrical run.

Globally, the film's start is equally impressive, having already amassed $108.3 million worldwide. This figure already comfortably surpasses the total global gross of the much-maligned Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City ($42 million) and even the original Resident Evil from 2002 ($103 million). The true test of its global potential will come with its upcoming releases in key markets like China and Japan (scheduled for October). The Chinese box office, in particular, proved crucial for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2017, accounting for half of its $312 million worldwide total.

With a strong critical reception, a record-breaking domestic opening, and promising international prospects, the new Resident Evil film appears poised to be a major win for the franchise and a highlight in the horror genre's recent theatrical slate.