Resident Evil Is $600,000 Away From Horror History
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is standing on the edge of a major box office milestone. After seven weekends in theatres, the Sony Pictures reboot has collected a reported $399.99 million worldwide, leaving it roughly $600,000 behind A24’s Backrooms and its $400.6 million global total. At its current pace, the gap should close within days, handing Resident Evil second place among 2026’s horror releases and a place among the highest-grossing horror films of all time.
The numbers, reported by ComingSoon from Deadline and Box Office Mojo data, break down to $157.4 million domestically and $242.6 million internationally. Other trade trackers round the worldwide figure to $400 million, reflecting the same weekend estimates from slightly different domestic counts. Either way, the conclusion is the same: the film is effectively at the $400 million mark, and Backrooms is next in its sights.
The Weekend That Nearly Closed the Gap
Resident Evil added about $10 million worldwide in its seventh weekend, according to the reports, with roughly $2.5 million from North America and $7.5 million from international markets. The overseas haul slipped 27.2 percent from the previous frame, while the domestic weekend fell 13.8 percent, and the film shed 205 North American theatres on Friday. For a horror title in its seventh week, that is a remarkably gentle decline, and it is exactly why the film keeps climbing when most genre releases have long since faded.
The run has been playing across 66 markets and more than 21,500 screens, and international audiences have done most of the heavy lifting. China leads all territories with $71.4 million, followed by the United Kingdom at $19.4 million, with Japan and Mexico tied at $12.7 million each. The film has become the third-highest-grossing horror film ever in China and the biggest instalment in the Resident Evil franchise worldwide.
What Resident Evil Has Already Passed
The road to $400 million has already carried the reboot past a string of notable horror benchmarks. It has outgrossed Sinners at $371.6 million, The Nun at $366 million, and Cregger’s own previous hit Weapons at $270 million. It is also the first film in the franchise, and the first in Cregger’s filmography, to reach the $400 million threshold, and only the 12th horror film in history to do so.
| Film | Worldwide gross (reported) |
|---|---|
| Obsession | About $522 million |
| Backrooms | $400.6 million |
| Resident Evil | About $400 million |
| Sinners | $371.6 million |
| The Nun | $366 million |
| Weapons | $270 million |
Once it passes Backrooms, Resident Evil will become the 11th-highest-grossing horror film of all time worldwide. The next landmark after that is considerably further away: The Exorcist, whose lifetime gross stands at $430 million, sits about $30 million ahead.
Why This Run Matters for Horror in 2026
Horror has been the year’s most reliable genre, and Resident Evil is a big reason why. Alongside Obsession at roughly $522 million and Backrooms at $400.6 million, it gives 2026 three horror releases above the $400 million line, a feat few years can claim. The film opened on September 18, 2026, with a $60.2 million domestic debut that set a new September opening record for a horror film, and it has held on through the Halloween corridor, a period when domestic turnout traditionally softens.
The economics are just as striking. The reboot was produced on a reported budget of $75 million before marketing, which means its gross already represents more than five times its production cost. Directed by Cregger and starring Austin Abrams as a medical courier caught in the early stages of a deadly outbreak in Raccoon City, the film has proved that a familiar gaming brand, handled with genuine craft, can still draw audiences worldwide against newer competition.
What Happens Next
Trackers currently project a final worldwide total between $415 million and $425 million, with a domestic finish of approximately $160 million. That range would leave Resident Evil short of The Exorcist but comfortably clear of Backrooms, and it would cement the reboot as the defining commercial success of Cregger’s career so far. Whether it can squeeze out a few extra millions in the quiet weeks ahead depends on how long theatres hold it, but the $400 million milestone itself is no longer in doubt. All figures here are reported estimates and will shift slightly when final actuals arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has Resident Evil made at the box office?
About $400 million worldwide after seven weekends, split between roughly $157.4 million domestically and $242.6 million internationally.
Will Resident Evil pass Backrooms?
Almost certainly, and soon. It trails A24’s Backrooms by only about $600,000, and its current weekly pace should erase that gap within days.
What is the highest-grossing horror film of 2026?
Obsession, at roughly $522 million worldwide, remains well ahead of both Backrooms and Resident Evil.
Who directed the new Resident Evil?
Zach Cregger directed the reboot, which stars Austin Abrams and opened in theatres on September 18, 2026.
Is Resident Evil the biggest film in the franchise?
Yes. It is the highest-grossing Resident Evil film worldwide, and the first in the series to reach $400 million.