The weekend box office, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sparked a major shakeup during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, as the new horror sequel surged to No. 1 on Friday, ending the month-long reign of Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Directed by Nia DaCosta, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opened strong on Friday, climbing to the top of the box office and ending the four-week run of Avatar: Fire and Ash, according to Variety. The horror sequel earned $5.6 million from more than 3,500 North American theaters on its first day and is expected to reach approximately $15 million across the four-day holiday frame.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Leads the MLK Weekend
Looking at the weekend box office, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple marks the fourth entry in Sony’s long-running zombie series. The film follows last summer’s 28 Years Later and continues the franchise’s post-apocalyptic storyline.
Written by Alex Garland, the movie stars Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, and Alfie Williams. Their characters navigate a virus-ravaged British countryside as they struggle to survive.
Early response has been strong for the horror genre. The film has earned positive reviews from critics and received an A-minus CinemaScore from audiences.
Avatar: Fire and Ash Earnings Stay Strong
Avatar: Fire and Ash slipped to second place on Friday after four straight weeks at No. 1. The film earned $3.2 million during the MLK weekend.
The latest trip to Pandora from James Cameron is projected to add roughly $17 million through the holiday frame. That would push its domestic total close to $367 million by Monday.
The film briefly lost the top spot but remains a major draw. It could reclaim first place once final MLK weekend numbers are reported.
Box Office Holdovers Continue to Perform
The thriller The Housemaid placed third on Friday with $2.5 million. The film is on track to surpass $109 million domestically through the holiday frame, an impressive result given its $35 million production budget. A sequel is already in development, with Sydney Sweeney and Paul Feig set to return.
Disney’s animated sequel Zootopia 2 landed at No. 4, adding $1.9 million on Friday. Released in November, the film continues to show remarkable staying power and is projected to reach $393 million domestically by the end of the weekend.
Marty Supreme rounded out the top five with an estimated $1.6 million on Friday. The film’s domestic total is expected to reach $80 million by Monday.
The Big Picture
With a major horror sequel now leading the way, the holiday box office remains competitive. Established hits are still drawing audiences as the weekend continues.
Final studio tallies will determine whether 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple can hold onto the top spot or if Avatar: Fire and Ash mounts another comeback.
