Resident Evil reboot scores franchise-record UK box office opening

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot opened at No.1 in the UK and Ireland weekend box-office chart for 18-20 September 2026, taking £4.2 million from 608 sites. Screen Daily reported that the Sony release delivered the biggest opening weekend in the live-action Resident Evil film series, comfortably ahead of previous entries.

The result also came alongside a franchise-record debut in North America, where the film opened to $60 million domestic and more than $108 million worldwide. Deadline and TheWrap reported that the performance exceeded projections and arrived alongside strong reviews.

Film	Result
Resident Evil	No.1 in the UK and Ireland for 18-20 September 2026
UK and Ireland opening	£4.2 million from 608 sites
North America opening	$60 million
Worldwide total	More than $108 million
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom	Opened in the UK and Ireland top five

Resident Evil opens at No.1 at the UK box office

The new Resident Evil film led the UK and Ireland chart over the 18-20 September weekend with £4.2 million. Its 608-site release gave Sony the weekend’s No.1 title and established a new high for the live-action series.

Screen Daily reported the UK and Ireland result, which places Cregger’s film well ahead of the opening weekends achieved by earlier live-action entries. No previous figures are needed to underline the scale of the result: the new film has now set the opening benchmark for the series in the territory.

The performance is especially notable because it was not confined to one market. Box Office Mojo tracked the film’s wider box-office performance, while Deadline and TheWrap reported a North American opening of $60 million and a worldwide total above $108 million.

The film stars Austin Abrams and is released by Sony. Its first weekend has therefore produced record-setting numbers on both sides of the Atlantic, with the UK and Ireland opening adding to a much larger international start.

Zach Cregger sets a career high after Weapons

The opening represents a career high for director Zach Cregger following his previous film Weapons. The new Resident Evil has given him his strongest box-office opening yet, with the UK and Ireland result forming part of a worldwide debut that passed $108 million.

Deadline and TheWrap also reported that the North American $60 million opening exceeded projections. The film’s strong reviews accompanied that commercial start, helping to make the weekend a significant one for Cregger as well as for the Resident Evil series.

The UK result gives the film a clear local milestone too. A £4.2 million debut from 608 sites was enough not only to take first place but also to set the live-action franchise’s opening record in the market.

That distinction matters because the reboot is being measured against an established run of previous films. Rather than merely returning the title to cinemas, Cregger’s version has opened at a level not previously reached by a live-action Resident Evil film in the UK and Ireland.

Resident Evil sets records in North America and worldwide

The UK performance was matched by an even larger record in North America. The film opened with $60 million domestic, a franchise record, according to reporting from Deadline and TheWrap.

Its worldwide total moved beyond $108 million, giving the Sony release a substantial opening across its first markets. The North American result exceeded projections, while the strong reviews reported around the release added another positive element to its debut weekend.

Taken together, the figures show the reboot beginning from a stronger position than any previous live-action entry in the series in the UK and Ireland, while also setting a franchise record in North America.

The performance also reinforces horror’s continuing reliability as a cinema draw at the start of the autumn season. Resident Evil has arrived with a recognisable horror identity, and its opening weekend has translated that into the No.1 position in Britain and Ireland as well as a record domestic launch in North America.

Shaun the Sheep also lands a strong UK opening

Resident Evil was not the only new release to make an impact over the weekend. British animation Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom also opened strongly and landed in the UK and Ireland top five.

That gives the chart two notable new arrivals with very different audiences and styles. While Resident Evil led the weekend and set a new live-action franchise record, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom secured its own prominent position among the five highest-ranking films.

The contrast between the two releases also makes the weekend notable as the autumn cinema season gets under way. Horror delivered the chart leader, while British animation also found a place near the top of the rankings.

Screen Daily’s reporting on the UK and Ireland market highlighted the strength of the Resident Evil opening, while the top-five arrival of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom provided another significant result among the weekend’s new films.

Why horror remains a reliable autumn cinema draw

The opening of Cregger’s film continues a period in which horror has proved a reliable draw for cinema audiences. With the autumn season beginning, the new Resident Evil has immediately taken the top position in the UK and Ireland and produced a record opening for its live-action series.

The North American figures point in the same direction. A $60 million domestic opening, more than $108 million worldwide and a result above projections give the film a strong first-weekend profile beyond Britain and Ireland.

For Cregger, the numbers mark a career high following Weapons. For Sony, they give the studio a No.1 UK and Ireland release and a franchise-record North American opening. For the series itself, the weekend establishes new opening benchmarks in two major markets.

The combination of those results and strong reviews means the film enters its second weekend with a substantial opening already recorded. Its next test will be how it performs as more new releases enter cinemas.

What happens next at the UK box office

The next major arrival mentioned in the current release calendar is Sense and Sensibility, directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and George MacKay. It reaches UK cinemas on 25 September after positive early reactions in London.

That release will arrive one week after Resident Evil topped the chart and Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom entered the top five. The coming weekend will therefore show how Cregger’s horror reboot holds up as fresh competition reaches cinemas.

For now, the headline result belongs to Resident Evil: £4.2 million from 608 UK and Ireland sites, the biggest live-action opening in the series, alongside a franchise-record $60 million North American debut and more than $108 million worldwide.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Resident Evil make in the UK and Ireland on opening weekend?

Zach Cregger’s <em>Resident Evil</em> opened with £4.2 million from 608 sites across the UK and Ireland during the 18-20 September 2026 weekend. The Sony release finished at No.1 and recorded the biggest opening weekend in the live-action <em>Resident Evil</em> film series.

How much did Resident Evil make in North America?

The film opened to $60 million in North America, setting a franchise record. It also passed $108 million worldwide. Deadline and TheWrap reported that the North American result exceeded projections and that the release was accompanied by strong reviews.

Who directed and stars in the new Resident Evil film?

The <em>Resident Evil</em> reboot was directed by Zach Cregger and stars Austin Abrams. It is a Sony release. Its opening marked a career high for Cregger following his previous film <em>Weapons</em>, while also setting new opening records for the live-action series.

What major film is coming to UK cinemas next?

<em>Sense and Sensibility</em>, directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and George MacKay, reaches UK cinemas on 25 September 2026. The film arrives after positive early reactions in London and follows the weekend in which <em>Resident Evil</em> topped the UK and Ireland chart.