Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” has become the highest-grossing film of his career, overtaking the $270 million that “Weapons” earned worldwide, while Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” another Sony release, stumbled on the same weekend.
The zombie reboot opened Sept. 18 with $60 million in North America, a franchise record, and $108.3 million globally on a reported $75 million budget. It stood at $245.4 million worldwide through its third weekend. A $40 million debut in China this weekend lifts it beyond “Weapons” and toward a projected $425 million.
Audiences and critics have backed it. The film holds 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the best reception for any live-action entry in the series, and earned a B+ CinemaScore. Austin Abrams plays a medical courier battling infected creatures in Raccoon City. “Zach Cregger plus big franchise equals big bucks,” analyst Paul Dergarabedian said. “Weapons” cost $38 million to make.
“The Social Reckoning” found far less enthusiasm. It took $5.5 million from 2,606 theaters and finished fifth, short of the $7 million to $8 million Sony had projected. Universal’s horror release “Other Mommy” led the weekend with $27.5 million. “The Social Network” opened at No. 1 with $22.4 million in 2010, without adjusting for inflation.
Sorkin wrote and directed the film, which dramatizes the 2021 leak by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg, Jeremy Allen White a reporter and Mikey Madison Haugen. Reviews have been poor, and several critics lamented that David Fincher, who directed the original, passed on the project. Sorkin has said Fincher was committed to a Netflix film.
Analysts offer competing explanations. One argues audiences avoid films about issues already dominating the news. Another suggests a Facebook exposé feels less urgent to viewers who now worry more about artificial intelligence, or that the target audience of older moviegoers returns to theaters only sporadically.
The financial damage stays contained. The film cost a reported $30 million, shared with co-producer Alcon, and Sony is enjoying a historic run with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which has grossed about $2.5 billion. The weak opening could still dim the film’s awards prospects.
