Resident Evil Sets Franchise Record with $26.3 Million Opening Day

Sony/Columbia's "Resident Evil" set a franchise box office record with a $26.3 million opening day from 3,684 locations, on track for a $53-60 million domestic opening weekend. The film, directed by Zach Cregger, is projected to surpass the previous franchise record of $26.6 million set by "Resident Evil: Afterlife" in 2010. It holds strong critical and audience scores of 96% and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, alongside a B+ CinemaScore. The $75 million production benefits from Cregger's popularity among horror fans and positive word-of-mouth, potentially sustaining it into October. Meanwhile, "Practical Magic 2" faces a steep 65% drop in its second weekend, earning an estimated $10.4 million.