Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is already doing something no other entry in the franchise has managed: posting the best preview numbers in the series’ history. Tonight’s early estimates sit at $8M, and they could push past $9M. The film’s R-rated adaptation of the Capcom video game comes from Sony and Constantin, and it is currently playing in PLFs and Imax, with Imax’s 70MM format still on a crusade with The Odyssey (about 35 auditoriums).
Early Numbers
Previews for the R-rated feature began at 2PM stateside. The $8M figure comes from distribution sources, not the studio, so everything below should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, the trend is unmistakable.
The Tomatometer
The movie is posting the best critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, now at 96% certified fresh. Its audience score is equally strong, at 91%. The previous best audience score belonged to the original 2002 film, which scored 67%.
Comparing the Competition
Cregger’s Resident Evil is beating a long list of recent horror and action hits on Deadline‘s preview day chart. Here is how the numbers stack up:
| Movie | Preview Day Take | Opening Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Evil | $8M+ | Estimated $75M |
| Weapons | $5.75M | $43.5M |
| Scream 7 | $7.8M | $63.6M |
| Mortal Kombat 2 | $5.2M | $38.5M |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | $6.5M | $60.1M |
Even on the low end of $8M, the movie scorches all of them. The comparison to Scream 7 is particularly striking — that horror pic brought in $7.8M on preview day and opened to $63.6M. The tracking sources tonight advise not to compare Resident Evil to that horror pic just yet.
The Hold Pattern
Friday/preview-to-Saturday holds for previous Resident Evil movies have been pretty good. The 2016 Final Chapter grew +1.4% between those two days. The original 2002 movie grew +1%. And Resident Evil: Afterlife, which held the series’ previous domestic opening record at $26.6M, dropped -9%.
The point is that horror movies tend to be front-loaded. Because Resident Evil is a different iteration of the franchise — separate from the Milla Jovovich films — the wait-and-see is about how quickly the audience shows up on Friday.
The Format Details
The movie is playing in PLFs and Imax, with the latter format’s 70MM still on a crusade with The Odyssey (about 35 auditoriums). The net production cost of $75M is shared between Constantin and Sony.
The Weekend Projection
Insiders believe the movie has a shot at topping $50M, and the preview numbers suggest a front-loaded opening. The hold pattern for Resident Evil movies has historically been positive.
The Weekend Test
The final numbers will confirm everything. But for now, the early signs are excellent. Insiders believe the movie has a shot at topping $50M.
The R-rated approach, the video-game source material, and the horror genre all worked in its favor. The film is a different take on the games, and Cregger has avidly played them.
The preview-day record is broken. The audience record is broken.
Source material: “‘Resident Evil’ Scaring Up Franchise Best Previews With $8M-$9M & Rotten Tomatoes 91% Audience Score,” Deadline.
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