The horror sequel opened with a 2.6‑crore net, but by day eight its screen count has shrunk almost ninety percent, leaving the film with just 15.37 crore total.
Zach Cregger’s latest Resident Evil landed in Indian theatres on September 18 and rode a wave of curiosity. The opening day pulled in roughly 2.6 crore net, and the film clocked more than four thousand shows across the country. That gave it the biggest opening‑weekend for the franchise in India, a notable feat for a Hollywood horror title.
But the momentum didn’t last. By the second Friday, the number of daily screenings had collapsed to just 463 – an almost ninety‑percent plunge from the debut figure. The drop in shows translated into a sharp dip in earnings. The film collected only about 67 lakh that day, pushing its cumulative net to 15.37 crore.
Why the crash?
The steep decline isn’t solely about audience fatigue. A fresh slate of Indian releases hit the multiplexes this week, squeezing screen space for the zombie‑laden thriller. Multiplex owners tend to prioritize local titles that promise higher footfall, especially when a new Bollywood or regional blockbuster rolls out. As a result, Resident Evil lost a huge chunk of its allotted slots.
The film’s occupancy rate also tells a story. Even on opening day, seats were filled at just 15 percent, indicating a lukewarm response despite the franchise’s name recognition. Horror, especially Western‑style zombie fare, often struggles to pull mass crowds in a market that leans heavily toward song‑filled dramas and action spectacles.
Box‑office trackers note that the film’s week‑one total stayed under 15 crore net, a modest figure given its global hype. The second‑week dip, with a 73 percent fall in day‑one earnings, shows how quickly Indian audiences shift their attention when newer options appear.
The cast – Austin Abrams as the courier Bryan, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Johnno Wilson – brought recognizable faces, but star power alone couldn’t offset the scheduling crunch. The movie’s premise, a courier caught in a viral outbreak at a remote hospital, may have appealed to genre fans but failed to break into the mainstream.
For now, Resident Evil sits at 15.37 crore net in India, a respectable sum but far from the blockbuster territory its opening suggested. Whether the film can claw back screens in the coming weeks depends on how the new releases perform and whether word‑of‑mouth can revive interest.
The next box‑office report is due on September 30, when the film’s second‑week total will be finalized. Until then, the horror franchise will have to settle for a modest run in a market that favors home‑grown spectacles.
Be the first to comment
Join the argument. No password, just your email or a passkey.