28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE Has a Modest Debut, Strong Word of Mouth Could Keep It Alive
Have you heard the good word of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple? It turns out a decent number of moviegoers did show up, even if the turnout wasn’t quite what the studio had hoped for.
According to Variety, the latest entry in the long-running zombie franchise opened to $31.1 million worldwide. Domestically, the film is looking at around $15 million, which lands below early expectations that pegged it closer to the $20 to $22 million range over the holiday frame.
Internationally, though, it performed a bit stronger, pulling in $16.2 million across 61 overseas markets. That global split gives the movie some breathing room, especially if it can hold steady in the weeks ahead.
There’s reason to think it might as word of mouth could end up being its saving grace, as both critics and audiences have been fairly kind to the film so far. That kind of reception sometimes translates into repeat viewings and late bloomers who skip opening weekend but catch up later.
Deadline wrote about the softer-than-expected debut, saying "Those numbers for The Bone Temple are a disappointment. Not Sony, not theaters, not anybody wanted to see the movie at that level, especially as the sole MLK weekend opener."
The same report also pointed out the brighter side of the story: "On the positive side, the Nia DaCosta-directed, Alex Garland-penned and Danny Boyle-produced fourth title in the British zombie series gets an A- CinemaScore, and a very good 72% definite recommend on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak, which is better than the B CinemaScore and 52% definite recommend on 28 Years Later."
That’s no small thing, especially considering the creative team involved. A strong audience scores suggest the movie is connecting more than its immediate box office might imply.
Sony clearly still has confidence in the franchise. A third 28 Years Later film is already in the works, and it’ll bring back Cillian Murphy, who starred in the original 28 Days Later. It’s possible The Bone Temple suffered from arriving relatively soon after the first Years film, or maybe it simply ran into stiff competition at the multiplex.
Movies like Primate and No Other Choice are pulling attention, while Avatar: Fire and Ash continues to dominate. Fire and Ash is expected to add another $17.2 million domestically over the four-day weekend, pushing its totals to $363.5 million in North America and a massive $1.31 billion worldwide.
For the fifth straight weekend, it’s still printing money for Disney, alongside Zootopia 2, which has now locked in its status as the highest-grossing animated movie ever.
Financially, The Bone Temple has some work to do. The film reportedly cost $63 million to produce, meaning it’ll need strong international legs to move into the black. The previous film, 28 Years Later, barely cleared that hurdle, finishing with $151.3 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, and that figure didn’t even factor in marketing.
Meanwhile, Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to wrap its run around $1.6 billion globally. That’s an enormous number by most standards, though it also marks the first Avatar movie to fall well short of the $2 billion club.
For now, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sits in an interesting spot. It didn’t explode out of the gate, but solid audience reactions suggest it isn’t done yet. We’ll see how it holds up over the coming weeks. Until then, let us know what you thought of the film in the comments.