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Sony Pictures is testing the strength of one of its most respected horror franchises as 28 Years Later The Bone Temple enters theaters over the Martin Luther King Jr holiday frame. The key question facing the industry is whether the zombie sequel can finally push James Cameron’s Avatar Fire and Ash out of the number one spot after weeks of dominance.
The Bone Temple is the fourth film in the long running 28 Days Later series and is projected to earn between 20 million and 22 million dollars over the four day holiday weekend. That puts it in direct competition with Avatar Fire and Ash which is expected to bring in roughly 18 million to 19 million during the same period. If projections hold the Sony release has a real shot at claiming the top position and ending Avatar’s reign after five consecutive weekends.
The new installment arrives about six months after its predecessor 28 Years Later which debuted last June with a solid 30 million dollars over a traditional three day weekend. That film went on to collect 70 million dollars domestically and 150 million worldwide against a 60 million dollar budget. The Bone Temple carries a slightly higher production cost at 63 million dollars which raises the stakes for Sony but early indicators are encouraging.
Directed by Nia DaCosta and written by franchise creator Alex Garland the film continues the story of a Britain devastated by the Rage Virus. Ralph Fiennes Jack O’Connell and Alfie Williams reprise their roles as survivors navigating a brutal post apocalyptic landscape. One major advantage for the film is the lack of major new
competition in the marketplace along with strong critical reception. The Bone Temple currently boasts a 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes with Variety critic Peter Debruge praising it as bold imaginative work that finally delivers a zombie movie with intelligence and depth.
While attention is focused on the battle for first place other films are also making notable moves. Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet is expanding nationwide to 688 theaters after a successful platform release. The Shakespeare inspired drama recently won the Golden Globe for best motion picture drama as well as best actress for Jessie Buckley. So far the film has earned an impressive 13 million dollars domestically and continues to benefit from awards season momentum.
Meanwhile Avatar Fire and Ash remains a global powerhouse despite signs of slowing down. The film has amassed 1.23 billion dollars worldwide making it one of the biggest releases of the year. Still its box office staying power appears weaker than previous Avatar entries. Both Avatar and Avatar The Way of Water held the top spot for seven straight weekends whereas Fire and Ash may top out at five. Expectations remain extremely high given that the first two films rank among the highest grossing movies of all time with 2.9 billion and 2.3 billion dollars respectively. James Cameron has even joked that the future of Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 depends on how the third installment ultimately performs.
January is traditionally a quieter month for theaters but studios are hoping a mix of genre films can keep audiences engaged. Upcoming releases include Amazon MGM’s Mercy starring Chris Pratt Sam Raimi’s survival horror Send Help and the Jason Statham led Shelter. As Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian notes patience will be required as the industry waits for the next wave of major releases. For now all eyes are on whether The Bone Temple has enough bite to dethrone Pandora.
