Resident Evil: Outbreak Night Hits $2.8M in China Previews
The live-action Resident Evil reboot has already pulled in over 20 million yuan in previews and presales ahead of its October 5 China debut, with strong global numbers behind it.
Resident Evil is back on the big screen in China, and fans are clearly hungry for it.
Resident Evil: Outbreak Night has already raked in more than 20 million yuan (roughly $2.8 million) in previews and presales as of around 6 PM on October 4, according to data from Beacon and Maoyan. Maoyan also pegs total admissions at about 438,000. The film officially opens across mainland China on October 5.
This one's kind of a big deal for the franchise. It marks the first live-action Resident Evil movie to hit Chinese theaters in nine years, and it's a full reboot. Directed by Zach Cregger, who co-wrote the script with Shay Hatton, the film stars Austin Abrams in the lead.
The story is based on Capcom's original 1996 Resident Evil game, but don't expect a straight adaptation. It goes with an original plot, following Brian, a medical courier who gets caught up in a bioweapon outbreak in Raccoon City and has to fight to survive.
Overseas, the movie has been rolling out since September 16-18. As of September 23, it had pulled in over $113 million worldwide, which is around 810 million yuan. It's also sitting at a 7.7 on IMDb and a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so critics and audiences seem pretty happy so far.
That said, not everyone's thrilled. Since the project was announced, it's sparked some heated debate among gamers and movie fans, largely because it ditches classic characters like Leon and goes with an original story instead. Cregger addressed that head-on in an earlier BBC interview, explaining that the film isn't adapting any specific game's plot. Instead, it's a standalone story that just happens to take place inside the Resident Evil universe.
So whether you're a longtime fan or just here for the zombies, there's plenty to chew on. Are you planning to catch it in theaters, or are you waiting to see what other fans say first?
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