‘Resident Evil’ Achieves Highest CinemaScore Grade in Franchise History

Horror franchises based on video games have a complex relationship with mainstream audiences, often balancing box office success with genuine fan enthusiasm. The ‘Resident Evil’ film series has navigated this tricky terrain for over two decades, achieving significant ticket sales while seldom receiving the critical acclaim that transforms a franchise into a beloved classic.

This trend seemed poised to continue with yet another reboot, particularly given the mixed audience reactions to the franchise’s six prior films. However, early indications from opening night suggest this iteration may finally be breaking that cycle.

Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ has garnered a B+ rating from audiences at CinemaScore, marking it as the most positively received film in the franchise’s history. This score surpasses all previous entries dating back to the original 2002 film, which received grades ranging from B to C+ throughout the series’ 24-year existence.

The new film’s B+ rating eclipses the franchise’s previous scores, including the original 2002 ‘Resident Evil’ and 2004’s ‘Apocalypse,’ both of which earned a B from audiences on opening night. 2007’s ‘Extinction’ and 2010’s ‘Afterlife’ received slightly lower grades of B-, while 2012’s ‘Retribution’ marked the franchise’s low point with a C+.

The series saw a slight recovery with 2017’s ‘The Final Chapter,’ which returned to a B grade, but 2021’s ‘Welcome to Raccoon City’ fell back to a C. Given this context, Cregger’s reboot surpassing all previous benchmarks signifies a notable shift in audience reception for this version of the story.

The impressive CinemaScore grade coincides with strong box office performance. The film earned $8.8 million from Thursday preview screenings alone, significantly exceeding earlier opening weekend projections that estimated around $40 million.

Industry analysts now predict the film will open with over $60 million domestically, surpassing the franchise’s previous opening weekend record of $26.6 million set by ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife,’ even when adjusted for inflation. This combination of a high audience score and record-breaking early numbers indicates that the reboot is resonating well beyond just critical circles.

The positive reception extends beyond CinemaScore, with early audience ratings showing a 90 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4.5 out of 5 rating on PostTrak. These figures further emphasize the warm response from opening-night audiences.

Such consistent feedback across various audience tracking platforms lends credibility to the CinemaScore result, suggesting it reflects a broader trend of strong word-of-mouth leading into the film’s wider release. For a franchise that has historically divided critics and audiences, this alignment is a significant change.

The first trailer for Zach Cregger’s ‘RESIDENT EVIL’ has been released.

In theaters on September 18. pic.twitter.com/eeVCAGzy6M

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 30, 2026

This record-setting CinemaScore grade, combined with a potential franchise-best opening weekend, provides Sony and the creative team behind this reboot with significant momentum. Whether this translates into long-term franchise plans remains to be seen, but the early indicators suggest audiences are more invested in this version of ‘Resident Evil’ than they have been in years.

For a series that has spent over two decades striving for consistent goodwill from both critics and casual viewers, achieving success on both fronts simultaneously marks a true turning point. The film’s performance throughout its theatrical run will ultimately determine how far this goodwill extends.

Unlike Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, which compile reviews from critics and general users post-release, CinemaScore surveys audiences as they exit opening-night screenings, providing studios with immediate insight into how a film resonates with paying viewers. A strong grade often indicates positive word-of-mouth that can sustain ticket sales in the weeks following release, rather than relying solely on marketing.

This makes the B+ rating particularly significant for a franchise that has occasionally faced steep declines in box office performance after opening weekend. If audience enthusiasm remains strong in the following weeks, ‘Resident Evil’ could enjoy a much longer theatrical run than its predecessors.

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