"Resident Evil: Retribution," the fifth installment of the zombie-action series based on the popular Capcom video game franchise, came in atop the weekend box office, earning $21.1 million.
The box-office victory is bitter sweat as the film's opening is second lowest debut ever for the Resident Evil series, coming in ahead of the 2002 original but behind "Afterlife," "Extinction," and "Apocalypse," respectively. If you add in factors such as inflation and the fact that it was a 3D film, which carries a high-ticket price, it sold few tickets than the original.
According to website Box Office Mojo, "the Top 12 earned an estimated $69.6 million, which is the second-worst weekend of the year and is off 19 percent from the same frame last year."
The audience was 64 percent male, with 55 percent of those male moviegoers 25 years of age or older. According to Box Office Mojo, regular 3D showings accounted for 48 percent of total ticket sales.
The "Resident Evil" film series has historically performed better over seas. "Resident Evil: Afterlife" made nearly four times its domestic total internationally. According to a report by TheWrap, "Retribution" opened with an estimated $50 million from 50 international markets, with Japan being its largest money making market and bringing in $10 million.
In second place, "Finding Nemo 3D" earned an estimated $17.5 million, while the drama "The Master " opened with $730,000 a impressive debuts for a limited release.
Here are the weekend estimates from Box Office Mojo:
Resident Evil: Retribution 3D $21.1 million
Finding Nemo $17.5 million
The Possession $5.8 million
Lawless $4.2 million
ParaNorman $3 million
The Expendables 2 $3 million
The Words $2.9 million
The Bourne Legacy $2.9 million
The Odd Life of Timothy Green $2.5 million
The Campaign $2.4 million
The Dark Knight Rises $2.1 Million