Originally planned as the first major movie release of 2026, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will no longer be debuting at number one. This fourth film in the 28 Days Later series is directed by Nia DaCosta and features Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, and Alfie Williams. It was released on January 16th, less than seven months after the previous movie came out in 2025.
Initial estimates predicted that “The Bone Temple” would earn between $20 and $22 million during the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend at the box office. This would have made it the top-grossing film, surpassing James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which had held the No. 1 spot for four weekends since its release on December 19.
Things have changed for the film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Recent estimates from Deadline suggest it will only make $13.2 million over its first three days in theaters, and $15 million over the four-day weekend. This is a considerable drop from expectations and puts it behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is now predicted to earn $17.6 million over the same period.
Despite being the second-highest opening weekend for a 28 Days Later film domestically, this movie’s $14.2 million debut was lower than the $30 million earned by 28 Years Later in 2025. It did, however, outperform the original 2002 film ($9.8 million) and 28 Weeks Later from 2007 ($10.1 million). The success of 28 Years Later was likely boosted by fan excitement after a long break and a wave of nostalgia.
With a reported budget of $63 million, The Bone Temple is even more expensive than 28 Years Later, which cost $60 million to make. Since 28 Years Later only just made enough money ($151.3 million worldwide) to cover its costs ($150 million), the new movie will need to stay popular for a long time to be profitable.
Despite these challenges, the film has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, boasting a 94% rating on the Tomatometer and a 91% audience score on the Popcornmeter – both ‘Certified Fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes.
With 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple no longer in theaters, Avatar: Fire and Ash from 2025 continues to be the top movie, holding the number one spot for five weeks. It’s unclear if it will match the seven-week runs of its previous films, but it has a good chance, as the upcoming competition from movies like Mercy, Return to Silent Hill, and Send Help is expected to be weak.
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2026-01-17 19:38