Get ready for a spine-chilling weekend at the box office! Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has kicked off the MLK weekend with a solid $2.1 million in previews from Thursday’s 2 p.m. showtimes, marking a strong start for the highly anticipated horror sequel. But here’s where it gets interesting: while this figure is lower than the $5.8 million previews for the original 28 Years Later last summer, that film had the advantage of Juneteenth holiday moviegoers boosting its numbers. So, is this a fair comparison, or is The Bone Temple already facing an uphill battle? Let’s dive in.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple stands as the only major studio wide release this MLK weekend, positioning itself to dominate the box office. Projections estimate a $20 million to $22 million haul over the four-day weekend, going head-to-head with Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is expected to pull in around $19 million in its fifth weekend. For context, the original 28 Years Later opened to a robust $30 million in June 2025, fueled by a $14.4 million Friday and strong previews. Directed by franchise co-architect Danny Boyle, the original set a high bar, but The Bone Temple is in capable hands with Candyman director Nia DaCosta at the helm. Will she deliver a worthy successor? Critics seem to think so, with a stellar 94% approval rating and a PostTrak score of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
And this is the part most people miss: the demographic breakdown of the original film skewed heavily toward older audiences, with 75% of viewers over 25 and 62% male. Men over 25 made up nearly half the audience, while women over 25 accounted for 37%, the second-largest group. Will The Bone Temple attract a similar crowd, or will it appeal to a broader audience? It’s a question worth pondering as the film aims to carve out its place in the franchise.
Meanwhile, here’s how the rest of the top 5 performed this week:
- Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios) – 3,700 theaters, Weekend: $28.9 million (-47%), Total: $350 million (Week 4)
- The Housemaid (Lionsgate) – 3,123 theaters, Weekend: $15.6 million (-29%), Total: $98.6 million (Week 4) – Paul Feig’s thriller is set to cross $100 million domestically today.
- Primate (Paramount) – 2,964 theaters, Weekend: $14.5 million (Week 1)
- Zootopia 2 (Disney) – 3,200 theaters, Weekend: $12.4 million (-48%), Total: $381.2 million (Week 7)
- Marty Supreme (A24) – 2,512 theaters, Weekend: $10.9 million (-42%), Total: $73.4 million (Week 4)
As the box office battle heats up, one thing’s for sure: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is poised to make waves. But will it live up to the hype, or will it fall short of its predecessor’s success? Is this sequel a must-watch, or just another entry in a crowded genre? Share your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you!
