Resident Evil Reboot Dominates Box Office with $55M Opening Weekend

Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' reboot is dominating the box office, grossing $26.3 million on Friday and racing toward a $53-55 million opening weekend, far exceeding Sony's initial $40 million projection. It is the franchise's highest-grossing debut ever. The film, starring Austin Abrams, opened in 3,684 theaters with a $75 million production budget and a B+ CinemaScore. It marks Cregger's biggest opening, surpassing his previous film 'Weapons,' and is the year's top-reviewed horror title with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. The franchise has grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide since 2002. 'Practical Magic 2' took second place with $10.4 million, while 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' earned third with $6.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $944.3 million.