Apocalypse, Extinction, The Final Chapter… all potential outcomes as the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. seems on the cusp of fruition. What was supposed to be an upbeat episode, about a studio taking the right lessons from successful IP revivals and scoring a best-case-scenario debut for reasons only partially related to the brand itself, became something of a downer. Spoiler: We got word right as we started recording that, yes, Skydance was indeed going to go from owning zero legacy studios in late 2024 to now owning two as of late 2026. Good lord, can we not be allowed to be happy for more than a few days? Anyway, after a $60.2 million domestic debut and $107 million worldwide opening weekend, Sony and friends’ Resident Evil has earned $77 million after six days in North American theaters amid a (roughly) $136 million global cume. Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten’s Austin Abrams-starring video game-based horror adventure is (between crying fits and wall-punching) the main subject of this week’s episode of The Box Office Podcast. And for the occasion, producer Max Deering gets upped to “fourth chair guest” on account of his Resident Evil video game knowledge and fandom. To be fair, as he explains, he hasn’t been on air as much due to his own life responsibilities. Speaking of which, with the Umbrella Corporation scoring an existential victory, Jeremy Fuster’s appearance on the episode was confined to the first third amid his as-it-happens reporting for TheWrap. Nonetheless, before he is whisked away, Jeremy discusses what went right and why the film might leg out over the course of the spooky season. Max discusses the conundrum of… certain fans wanting a replica of something they can already get in the video game. Lisa notes the irony of the last few Resident Evil movies and shows bombing, creating a kind of “Well, we haven’t actually seen or watched one of these in a while” mentality among general moviegoers. Scott emphasizes the extent to which the film has succeeded for reasons beyond just Resident Evil being a recognizable and (for gamers, obviously) popular franchise, and how making adaptations that work on their own terms and garner new fans for the brand is a far better strategy than attempting to placate a vocal minority online fandom. Everyone, of course, agrees that mergers are bad and that this specific kind of “buy a company mostly with debt and then foist that debt onto the company you just bought” (which is how private equity killed the likes of Borders and Toys R Us) should be very, very illegal. Recommended Reading/Listening… * Scott Mendelson argues that since almost all of Skydance’s theatrical success (and even more of its reputation as a Hollywood power player) was courtesy of Tom Cruise movies, at least some of the blame (moral or otherwise) for this potentially industry-killing merger falls on “Mr. Savior of the Movie Theater.” * Jeremy Fuster discusses what the looming “Warnermount” means for creatives. * Lisa Laman lays into Disney for turning Searchlight into an IP factory. I shared it last week, but sadly it’s become even more topical as we see a slew of release dates for cheap horror sequels like Longlegs 2, Crawl 2, Heart Eyes 2 and Freaks 2. * Ryan Scott’s latest unofficial Tales from the Box Office notes the 15th anniversary of Drive, while his look at five ‘far cheaper than they look’ sci-fi flicks reminds me that A) I quite enjoyed The Vast of Night and B) I need to catch up with the recent Deathstalker remake. * Max Deering’s latest Action For Everyone episode discusses Resident Evil and features an extended interview with Lady Jill to talk about the art of ‘trans action’ and her short Wakashu. If you like what you hear… Please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com. * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop and Puck News * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap * Lisa Laman - Land of the Nerds, Dallas Observer, Pajiba, Looper, Autostraddle * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm, Fangoria and Inverse * Max Deering - Fangoria and Action For Everyone Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe
