Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is wasting little time making its mark on the long-running horror franchise.

The new film earned $8.8 million from Thursday preview screenings, setting a new preview box office record for the Resident Evil film series. The strong start comes as the reboot officially arrives in theaters today, September 18.

Directed by Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, the latest adaptation is now expected to deliver the biggest domestic opening weekend in franchise history. Current projections have the film targeting roughly $40 million to $50 million, with some estimates suggesting the strong reception could push the total even higher.

The previous franchise high for a domestic opening belonged to Resident Evil: Afterlife, which debuted with approximately $26 million in 2010.

The box office numbers aren’t the only major win for the reboot.

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil

As of Friday, Resident Evil holds an impressive 96% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 146 critic reviews, making it easily the best-reviewed live-action movie in the franchise. The film has also opened to strong audience reception, currently holding a 91% verified audience score.

That marks a dramatic turnaround for a franchise that has historically struggled with critics despite maintaining a sizable fanbase and becoming a major box office property.

Cregger’s film introduces an original story rather than directly adapting one of the games. Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, a medical courier whose routine delivery quickly becomes a fight for survival as he finds himself caught in a night of chaos and infected creatures.

The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson and Paul Walter Hauser.

With franchise-record preview numbers and the strongest reviews the series has ever received, Resident Evil is entering its opening weekend with considerable momentum.

Resident Evil is now playing in theaters.

Universal’s upcoming Miami Vice ’85 continues to build an impressive ensemble, with John Leguizamo now joining the film as its villain.

Leguizamo will star opposite Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler, who are set to lead the new big-screen take on the iconic crime series as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs and James “Sonny” Crockett, respectively.

Joseph Kosinski, the filmmaker behind Top Gun: Maverick and F1, is directing the project for Universal Pictures. The screenplay comes from Dan Gilroy, with Eric Warren Singer having written an earlier draft.

Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan [Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty]

The film is expected to draw inspiration from the original Miami Vice pilot and first season, returning audiences to the glamour, crime and corruption of mid-1980s Miami.

Leguizamo joins a growing cast that also includes Camila Morrone, Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak and Danny Ramirez.

The project marks another major addition to Leguizamo’s extensive career, which has included roles across films such as John Wick, Carlito’s Way, The Menu and the Ice Age franchise.

Miami Vice ’85 is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 19, 2028, after Universal moved the film from its previously announced August 2027 date.

Michael B. Jordan has never been shy about his love for anime, and the Sinners star is apparently open to taking that passion much further.

During a recent interview with Vogue, Jordan discussed his longtime interest in anime and joked that he could eventually leave everything else behind to focus on making it himself.

“I might just quit it all and make anime the rest of my life.”

Jordan said.

Goku vs. Vegeta [DBZ]

While the comment was made jokingly and shouldn’t be taken as Jordan announcing his departure from Hollywood, his interest in creating anime comes from a genuine passion for the medium.

Jordan has spoken publicly about anime for years, with series including Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and Hajime no Ippoamong the titles that have influenced him creatively.

That influence became especially apparent with Creed III, Jordan’s feature directorial debut. Anime helped inspire elements of the movie’s visual style and fight choreography, particularly the highly stylized final confrontation between Adonis Creed and Damian Anderson.

Jordan also took the connection one step further when Creed III received a special anime short produced by Japanese animation studio TMS Entertainment for the film’s release in Japan.

Michael B. Jordan [credit: PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUIS ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ STYLED BY CARLOS NAZARIO For Vogue]

His latest comments suggest that Jordan’s interest goes beyond simply borrowing inspiration from anime for his live-action projects. Whether that eventually leads to Jordan producing, directing or developing an original anime remains to be seen.

For now, Jordan certainly isn’t quitting Hollywood. Following his dual performance as Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the actor continues to have several major projects on his plate.

But if Jordan ever decides he wants to spend the rest of his career making anime, it sounds like he already has the passion for it.