While the latest Resident Evil sequel may be a flop in the United States but it is coming back from the dead overseas.
In it's opening weekend in China the film opened to a stellar $94.3 million. This puts the films total gross at $238 million. If it keeps up this pace it should pass the $300 million dollar worldwide gross of Resident Evil: Afterlife making it the top grossing film in the Resident Evil series.
Although we have been promised that this is the last Resident Evil movie, with international numbers like these don't be surprised if you see another resident Evil sequels focusing on other characters such as Leon Kennedy or "S.T.A.R.S. (please let it be "S.T.A.R.S).
Believe it or not the Underworld and Resident Evil movie franchises have been around since 2003. Underworld launched in 2003 and Resident Evil in 2002. The two series have a few things in common.
They have strong female leads.
Not much to write about here, Alice and Selene are two sexy bad asses who both look good in tight leather. Both are also the best thing about their prospective franchises.
The two franchises are critic proof.
Neither series will ever be equated with high art. The movies are often badly acted, badly written, and sometimes difficult to follow with all the damn jump cuts. All that aside they give their fans what they want, action, zombies, vampires, lycans, explosions, and sexy bad asses who look good in tight leather.
Both series are very profitbale, especially when you consider the international market.
The Resident Evil franchise will make over a billion dollars with the release of the latest film, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. The Underworld films have grossed over $534 million with the release of the latest film, UnderWorld: Blood Wars.
All that being said both series seem to have hit their peak. Some would say that they hit their peaks two to three films ago. Underworld: Blood Wars has not done well domestically at all. The film has only grossed $29.2 million in it's four weeks of release which is shocking when you consider that the last film in the franchise Underworld Awakening made $25.3 million in it's opening weekend alone. Blood Wars will not come close to the $62.3 million that Awakening made.
The numbers appear to be a little better for the latest RE release. The Final Chapter seems to be headed for a $15 opening weekend which means it should do as well as the last film in the series Resident Evil: Retribution which grossed $42 million. It may even have a shot at the $50 million that both the second and third films in the series grossed. That being said it seems like it's the end of the road for this incarnation of the Resident Evil series.
There could still be another UnderWorld film if Blood Wars does well internationally and although this is the end of Alice's story in the Resident Evil universe there is no reason the story/cash cow couldn't be continued with S.T.A.R.S. or Leon S. Kennedy.
So what series do you think has emptied the tank and should just quit while they are ahead, Underworld or Resident Evil? Or should both series hang it up?
Here's the first official trailer for the end of the cinematic Resident Evil saga Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.This January, Evil Comes Home. #ResidentEvilMovie in theaters 1/27/17.
Looks like we wont be seeing Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2016. The movies Facebook page states that the movie will be released January 27, 2017. Check out the announcement trailer below.
When you think of the fun and action filled Resident Evil movies one thing that doesn't come to mind is the plot. I always thought the plot was to have Milla Jovovich run around in some impossibly tight get up and kick zombie/human ass. It seems that the supposedly last movie in the franchise which at this time is featuring the obvious title, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter will actually have a plot. Okay that's the plan anyway. Read the plot synopsis below.
"Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, humanity is on its last legs after Alice is betrayed by Wesker in Washington D.C. As the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity’s final stand against the undead hordes, Alice must return to where the nightmare began – Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.
In a race against time Alice will join forces with old friends, and an unlikely ally, in an action packed battle with undead hordes and new mutant monsters. Between losing her superhuman abilities and Umbrella’s impending attack, this will be Alice’s most difficult adventure as she fights to save humanity, which is on the brink of oblivion."
