Prepare yourselves... the infected are back! "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is unleashing a new wave of terror, but can it surpass the original's impact? The film just clawed its way to $2.1 million in preview screenings, setting the stage for what could be a bloodbath at the box office this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Projections estimate "The Bone Temple" will rake in somewhere between $20 million and $22 million over the extended weekend. To provide some context, the first film, simply titled "28 Years Later," shocked the horror world last summer, earning $5.8 million during its preview screenings over a more traditional three-day weekend in June. It then exploded onto the scene with a $30 million debut and ultimately amassed a very impressive $70 million domestically and $150 million globally, all against a $60 million production budget. The new sequel? It carries a slightly heftier price tag of $63 million.
But here's where it gets controversial... Can "The Bone Temple" truly recapture the raw, visceral horror that made the original so iconic? Some argue that sequels often lose the magic of the first film, while others believe that a fresh perspective can breathe new life into a franchise.
Nia DaCosta steps into the director's chair, taking over from Danny Boyle, who directed last year's film and also the groundbreaking 2003 original, "28 Days Later." DaCosta is at the helm for the series’ first direct sequel, working from a script penned by the series creator, Alex Garland. The story picks up after the events of "28 Years Later," plunging us into the lives of Ralph Fiennes' disturbed doctor, Ian Kelson, and Jack O'Connell's charismatic but dangerous cult leader, Jimmy Crystal. Fan-favorite Alfie Williams, who was the breakout star of the first movies, is also back. Plus, the sequel introduces Erin Kellyman and Emma Laird to the infected chaos and marks the triumphant return of original star Cillian Murphy to the zombie-infested world. Murphy's involvement is generating significant buzz, but the extent of his role remains a closely guarded secret.
And this is the part most people miss... the box office battle won't be a cakewalk. The "28 Years Later" zombies are going head-to-head with the Na'vi of "Avatar: Fire and Ash." James Cameron's epic threequel is aiming to add another $18 million to $19 million to its already massive total in its fifth weekend. Remember, Cameron's previous "Avatar" films, the original from 2009 and "The Way of Water" from 2022, both dominated the box office, holding the No. 1 spot for seven weeks each and ultimately soaring past the $2 billion mark globally. Will "Avatar"'s staying power prove too much for the "28 Years Later" sequel?
So, what are your predictions? Will "The Bone Temple" live up to the hype and surpass the original? Or will "Avatar" continue its reign at the box office? Sound off in the comments below! Do you think DaCosta is the right choice to continue the series, or would you have preferred Boyle to stay on board? Let's discuss!
