'Resident Evil' Is Zombie-Walking to a 2026 Reboot. But Which Movie Was the Biggest Hit?

Based on the mega-popular Capcom video game series, the Resident Evil movies have been released at a steady clip since 2002. As of 2026, there are seven theatrically-released movies across two continuities. And now, in September 2026, a second reboot is coming from Weapons director Zach Cregger.

But is Resident Evil a safe bet at the box office? Excluding the various animated movies (which do rock!), let's take a look at the budget and box office history of all the Resident Evil movies, going all the way back to 2002.

Resident Evil (2002)

By 2002, Resident Evil was one of the biggest names in video games. Hollywood came calling, and the debut feature film adaptation was released in March 2002, around the same time as the GameCube-exclusive remake of the original 1996 game. Originally, Night of the Living Dead director George Romero was attached (there's a whole documentary about it!), but the final film was ultimately written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. While it had its scary elements, the movie was more of an action flick, with Milla Jovovich starring as protagonist Alice alongside the likes of Michelle Rodriguez, James Purefoy, and Colin Salmon. The movie featured no characters from the games and could even be seen as something of a prequel to the games, though future titles would make it clear that the games and the movies are completely separate continuities. Thanks to its R-rating, white-knuckle action sequences, and an undeniably magnetic performance from Jovovich, the film was a surprise hit.

From a budget of just $33 million, Resident Evil brought in $102 million worldwide, including $40 million from domestic markets. While not a full-on blockbuster, it was more than enough to get the ball rolling on a sequel.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

Two years later, in 2004, we got Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Anderson wrote the script, but didn't return to direct, presumably due to his commitments on Alien vs. Predator. Alexander Witt, best known for doing Second Unit on action films like Speed, Twister, Gladiator, and The Bourne Identity, stepped in to direct. The result is a shallow romp that often feels like a much bigger movie than its $50 million budget might indicate. Is it any good, though? Well, it's a lot of fun, with outrageous stunts and some pretty awesome creature suit work on the Nemesis monster, which I'd say counterbalances the schlocky script and increasingly B-movie sensibilities.

Whether that's a plus or a minus depends on your own sensibilities. In any case, the movie was a hit, grossing $129 million (including $51 million domestically) from a budget in the range of $45-$50 million.

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

After the success of the first two films, there was no doubt that they'd turn this thing into a trilogy. But few anticipated that 2007's Resident Evil: Extinction would completely jettison the setting of the games in favor of turning the franchise into a Mad Max knockoff, complete with a desert setting, armored caravans, and survivalist raiders fighting each other... But with zombies! That's not a bad thing, mind you. Sometimes a franchise needs to hit the reset button and do something completely different from its prior entries. I think the result is a step up from Apocalypse, with some great action and the triumphant return of the original Resident Evil film's iconic 'laser hallway' death trap.

Financially, the film was even more successful than its predecessors, grossing $147 million worldwide, including $50 million from domestic markets. In the U.S. and Canada, the franchise seemed to hit its ceiling, but it was still growing steadily worldwide, so... Why stop now?

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Three years after Resident Evil: Extinction, the world had changed. James Cameron's Avatar triggered a 3D revolution, and now lots of movies were selling themselves as "3D experiences." Clash of the Titans, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Alice in Wonderland were some of the earliest examples in 2010, but Resident Evil: Afterlife got in on the trend, too. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for this one, but I think this is one of the best 3D movies out there, in part because Paul W.S. Anderson finally returned to the director's chair, and he's simply one of the best action directors to ever do it. If you ever get a chance to see this one in a 3D theater, go for it. It's just non-stop 3D action, more audacious than ever. There are few images cooler and more nonsensical than Milla Jovovich dual-wielding shotguns that use quarters as buckshot, in slow-motion.

Right towards the camera. It's extremely dumb, but even more so, it's extremely awesome. Audiences agreed with me, and Afterlife became a massive hit. Domestically, it was a step up from its predecessors, with a respectable $60 million, but worldwide, it grossed $300 million, more than double that of its predecessor, and all on a perfectly reasonable budget of just $60 million. Not too shabby!

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

The fifth Resident Evil film released in 2012, just in time to celebrate the film series' tenth anniversary. While Milla Jovovich's black spy corset might be a franchise-best costume, the movie itself isn't my favorite. The action is decent, and I absolutely love little touches like having original Ada Wong voice actor Sally Cahill dub over Li Bingbing's performance as Ada), but this feels like the first time the series is just spinning its wheels with nowhere to go.

It was never Shakespeare, but Retribution is just a little too dumb for many viewers. The cliffhanger ending leaves hope for a grand final chapter, but we'll get to that. By 2012, the 3D gimmick was beginning to feel played out, so a decline in box office revenue was to be expected. Worldwide, Retribution made $240 million. That's a strong result for its $65 million budget, but the domestic gross tumbled to just $42 million.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

Following the somewhat deflated (but still strong) box office results of Retribution, the sixth film was hyped as the final chapter in the series. They even went so far as to call it Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. For some reason, the budget was slashed to just $40 million, and it really shows in the final result. While the smaller horror moments are exciting and well-made, most of the big, exciting action sequences fall flat due to truncated production values and some iffy CGI moments. The most glaring example, though, has to be the opening battle, which is hyped at the end of the previous movie. The Final Chapter opens long after the battle has concluded, and makes no note of how all of Alice's allies from the end of Retribution presumably died in the battle. I also hate the story and the way the plot wraps everything up with a bow, even if it contradicts, ignores, and outright retcons the events of previous films.

Financially, the film leaves behind a mixed legacy. Worldwide, The Final Chapter was the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, with $312 million. However, domestically, it was a straight-up bomb, grossing only $26 million, the lowest result in the series so far. Also, that $312 million was significantly buoyed by China, where the film grossed $159 million. For comparison's sake, Retribution only made $17 million in China. Remember, it's not all about the final number, it's about where the money comes from. Sure, The Final Chapter grossed $312 million on a budget of $40 million, but that doesn't mean it was as big a hit as Afterlife, or even Retribution.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

The Resident Evil film series was over. Thus, there was only one thing to do: reboot! Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was hyped as being more faithful to the games than its predecessors, and it even had some fun casting, like Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, and Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine. Alas, while I like Johannes Roberts as a director, I don't think he has Paul W.S. Anderson's ability to stretch a buck for maximum efficiency, and with a budget of only $25 million, Welcome to Raccoon City is held back by its limited production values and wide scope. Still, as B-movies go, I enjoyed it. It was at least better than The Final Chapter. At the box office, Welcome to Raccoon City struggled. It only made $17 million domestically and $41.9 million worldwide. At the end of the day, there have been bigger bombs, but it was clear that Robbie Amell would never get his chance to punch a boulder, a la Resident Evil 5.

The failure of Welcome to Raccoon City, as well as the cancellation of the Netflix adaptation of Resident Evil after just one season, would be enough to effectively end any franchise. But not Resident Evil. Through it all, the games had their own rise and fall and rise again. In 2017, the same year The Final Chapter limped to the finish, the games entered a new renaissance with the release of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, a return to form which brought the series great acclaim and strong sales. Sure, Welcome to Raccoon City bombed, but that was 2021. Basically, every movie that didn't have three different Spider-Men in it bombed that year. Zach Cregger is working on his new Resident Evil reboot. Following the massive success of Weapons (to the tune of $269 million worldwide), Cregger is one of the hottest directors working today, and he's bringing his fire to Resident Evil. While the Anderson films were consistent money-makers, they weren't exactly critical darlings. Are we living in a world where a Resident Evil movie could win the Oscar for Best Picture? Probably not. But it's a fun dream, right?

The new Resident Evil reboot is expected in late 2026.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 6:50 AM.