“Resident Evil” claimed the top spot at the mainland China box office over the Oct. 9–11 weekend, capping a first week that lifted Zach Cregger’s reboot past $320 million worldwide.
The Sony and Constantin film earned RMB81.2 million ($12.1 million) over the three days, according to Artisan Gateway, and has collected $40.7 million in China since opening Oct. 5, in the final stretch of the National Day Golden Week holiday. A tracker put its first-day take at $12.2 million, the biggest opening day for a Hollywood horror film in that market.
The weekend win came in a cooling market. Mainland receipts fell to $30.8 million as holiday crowds thinned, and the year’s total stands at $4.63 billion, 29.4 percent behind the 2025 pace.
Domestic rivals still lead on cumulative takings. “Traces of Justice,” a period crime drama directed by Chen Sicheng, slipped to second with $8.3 million and has earned $73.4 million since its Oct. 1 release. “Mr. & Mrs. Pardon” took third with $5.7 million and has reached $43.6 million. Both outpace “Resident Evil” on total receipts.
Elsewhere, the film’s momentum has shifted overseas. China’s $40.6 million debut is the best for a horror title in two years, and it pushed “Resident Evil” to the top of the global weekend chart with $62.7 million. The worldwide total of $320.2 million makes it Cregger’s biggest hit, ahead of the $270 million “Weapons” earned. Imax screens contributed $8.8 million over the weekend, $7.7 million of it from China.
North America is cooling. The film took an estimated $8.35 million from 3,085 theaters, down 33.8 percent from the previous weekend. It opened Sept. 18 to $60.15 million, a franchise record, then earned $23.01 million and $12.62 million in the next two weekends.
China has long favored the series. Earlier entries drew large audiences there, which helps explain why the market has carried the latest installment while domestic sales fade.
