With Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D topping the box office this weekend, it should come as no surprise that the next installment is already in the works. As the only major release of the weekend, Resident Evil topped the box office with $27.7M, which was enough reason to spawn a fifth sequel.
According to Milla Jovovich, the film’s star and wife of director Paul W.S. Anderson, this was the most successful film in the franchise. In an interview with New York Magazine she said,”This new Resident Evil is the first one to ever open at No. 1 worldwide. It’s the biggest movie in the franchise.”
Unfortunately this statistic is true but not exactly accurate. With the additional charge for 3D viewings of the film, the film has made more in dollars and did take the number one spot at the box office, but it was the worst of the franchise in terms of attendance. From Box Office Mojo.
In terms of estimated attendance, Afterlife likely ranked last and slightly behind the first movie: Afterlife only seemed more popular due to general ticket price inflation and the movie’s premium for the 3D illusion. 2,062 venues showed the picture in regular 3D, while it ran in IMAX 3D at another 141 venues.
It seems that the only way the next film will be seen as successful is if the theaters can think up another reason to jack up pricing. No doubt that when 4D gets big (4D is the silly gimmick that spritzes you with water and blows puffs of air at your face) , Resident Evil 5 4D will incorporate it and will once again raise its hands in victory that people paid $30 a ticket for Milla Jovovich to spit at them.
