Box Office: ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ opens behind ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

The North American box office remained firmly under the control of James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, even as a highly anticipated horror sequel debuted to strong reviews but softer-than-expected ticket sales.

Avatar: Fire and Ash collected an estimated $13.3 million from U.S. and Canadian theaters between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates cited by Comscore, marking its fifth consecutive weekend at number one. The Walt Disney Co. continued its winning streak across genres, buoyed by sustained audience interest and limited competition at the top end of the market.

Close behind, Sony Pictures’ 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opened in second place with $13 million through Sunday. The film is projected to reach about $15 million by the end of the extended holiday frame, still trailing Avatar’s expected $17.2 million total for the four-day period.

The result underscored a familiar dynamic in the post-holiday box office: established franchises with broad appeal continue to outperform critically praised newcomers, even when the gap is narrow.

Horror sequel meets solid reviews, muted turnout

Directed by Nia DaCosta, The Bone Temple arrived in 3,506 theaters following weeks of positive early buzz. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, the film earned a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while PostTrak exit polls showed 72% of surveyed audiences said they would “definitely recommend” it.

Despite that reception, the opening fell short of pre-release expectations. Industry forecasts had placed the film’s four-day debut north of $20 million. January is traditionally a quieter month for theatrical releases, often dominated by holdovers rather than major launches, making the underperformance more noticeable.

Internationally, The Bone Temple added $16.2 million from 61 overseas markets, bringing its early global total to just over $29 million. With a reported production budget of $63 million, excluding marketing and distribution costs, the film faces a longer road to profitability.

Analysts pointed to possible franchise fatigue or audience confusion as contributing factors. The sequel follows 28 Years Later, which opened to $30 million in June, less than a year earlier.

“It’s one of those head-scratchers,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “There may be a little bit of confusion from audiences. But word-of-mouth might sustain it in this marketplace, like we saw with The Housemaid and Zootopia 2.”

Franchise future remains active

Despite the softer opening, the 28 Days Later universe remains very much alive. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, who launched the series with the 2002 original, are already attached to a third installment, signaling continued confidence from studios in the long-running horror property.

Strong critical support and audience satisfaction scores suggest The Bone Temple could benefit from steadier holds in the coming weeks, particularly if competition remains limited.

‘Zootopia 2’ makes animation history

Disney claimed another milestone with Zootopia 2, which finished third for the weekend with $8.8 million in its eighth frame. The animated sequel has now grossed approximately $1.7 billion worldwide, surpassing Inside Out 2 to become the highest-grossing animated release under the Motion Picture Association classification.

The distinction excludes China’s Ne Zha 2, which has earned more than $2.2 billion globally but falls outside MPA reporting standards. With its latest totals, Zootopia 2 now ranks as the ninth highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, further cementing Disney’s dominance in the global animation market.

Profitable mid-budget hits hold steady

Lionsgate’s The Housemaid took fourth place with $8.5 million domestically. Produced for about $35 million, the thriller has amassed nearly $250 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable releases of the season.

Rounding out the top five was A24’s Marty Supreme, which earned $5.5 million over the weekend. The film’s cumulative North American gross reached $79.7 million, overtaking Everything Everywhere All at Once to become A24’s highest-grossing domestic release. Directed by Josh Safdie, the film could see renewed interest following the announcement of Oscar nominations later this week.

Classics and awards contenders add depth

The box office also benefited from repertory screenings. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers returned to theaters, landing within the top 10 with $3.6 million and $2.4 million respectively, highlighting continued audience appetite for premium re-releases.

Outside the top tier, Focus Features’ Hamnet expanded to 718 locations after its Golden Globe wins for best drama and best female actor for Jessie Buckley. The film earned $1.3 million through Sunday and is widely viewed as an emerging awards-season contender.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final figures to be released Tuesday, these estimates reflect ticket sales from Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash — $13.3 million

2. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — $13 million

3. Zootopia 2 — $8.8 million

4. The Housemaid — $8.5 million

5. Marty Supreme — $5.5 million

6. Primate — $5 million

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — $3.6 million

8. Greenland 2: Migration — $3.4 million

9. Anaconda — $3.2 million

10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers — $2.4 million