Resident Evil Reboot Revives North American Box Office With $60 Million Debut
Sony's Resident Evil reboot opened to an estimated $60 million domestically and $108.3 million worldwide, topping the franchise's previous debuts.
Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" has jolted the North American box office back to life, opening at the top of the charts with an estimated $60 million in ticket sales from 3,684 locations across the United States and Canada, Sony Pictures said Sunday.
The debut ranks as the strongest in the franchise's history, outpacing the entire domestic runs of most earlier installments. Audiences skewed heavily male and under 35, while overseas markets added $48.3 million, lifting the film's global launch to $108.3 million.
The reboot stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier whose final assignment of the night plunges him into a fight against infected creatures in Raccoon City. Critical reception has been strong, with the film currently holding a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock's "Practical Magic 2" slipped to second place in its second weekend with $12.2 million. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" followed in third with $6.5 million, ahead of "The Odyssey" at $4.9 million and "Coyote vs. Acme" at $4.5 million to complete the top five.
The rest of the top ten comprised "Runner" ($3.2 million), "Daniel and the Fiery Furnace" ($3.1 million), the 40th-anniversary re-release of "Transformers: The Movie" ($3.1 million), "The Weight" ($2.3 million) and "Buddy" ($1.9 million).
The figures are estimates for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, with final domestic numbers due Monday.