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Despite a minor backlash against the film on some social media platforms, Zach Cregger’s new take on the “Resident Evil” franchise is looking to do big numbers when it launches next week.
According to Global Box-Office, the title is on track for a worldwide box-office opening of over $100 million, the first film to open that high since “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”.
The film is currently tracking for a domestic debut of around $40-50 million with an overseas start closer to $60 million or more. Aware of the overseas hype, Sony has apparently expanded the film’s global press tour with Cregger and star Austin Abrams heading to Brazil this week.
A previous attempted big-screen reboot, 2021’s “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” grossed just $41.9 million worldwide total and was a major bomb. The biggest film of the series so far is 2010’s “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” the fourth film, pulling in $300 million, with $240 million of that from overseas markets.
The film has already been subjected to complaints from the notoriously passionate fanbase of the survival-horror game series for choosing to tell an entirely original story, an approach which has rubbed some people the wrong way.
Speaking with IGN recently, Cregger says he understands the criticism:
“I think I was naive. I believed that fans of these games, like myself, would be excited that someone was turning Resident Evil into a proper survival horror film. I didn’t truly grasp the sentiment of ‘we’ve been waiting years for Leon’s story’. I appreciate that, and I’m sorry this isn’t the story I’m bringing. I understand the disappointment. I’m not just telling a story and slapping the Resident Evil name on it to secure a bigger budget. I’m telling a Resident Evil story. I understand the resistance because I feel it too. This all comes from a place of genuine love.”
The new “Resident Evil” is set to open in cinemas on September 18th.
The post “Resident Evil” Film Targets $100M+ Global Start appeared first on Dark Horizons.
