The 28 Years Later Trilogy Needs The Bone Temple To Deliver At The Box Office

The early part of January is usually pretty dead at the box office, save for December holdovers. This year, however, Sony Pictures is set to potentially deliver the first genuinely big movie of 2026 when "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" hits theaters later this month. Scheduled for the MLK frame, the sequel to last year's "28 Years Later" will have a four-day weekend to rake in the bucks as the first true cinematic event of the year. The question is, can it match what its predecessor did last summer and justify the studio's plans for a full trilogy?

For the moment, it's unclear, but success is by no means a certainty, as evidenced by the current projections. "The Bone Temple" is currently on track to pull in between $18 and $28 million domestically on its opening weekend, per Box Office Theory. That's right in line with other tracking services, which have it bringing in $20 million or more across the full four-day weekend (per Deadline). By comparison, "28 Years Later" opened to $30 million at the domestic box office en route to an eventual $151.3 million worldwide take.

The split for the first movie was slightly in favor of international audiences, with more than 53% of its ticket sales, or $80.8 million, coming from overseas. That's important when looking at these initial projections since the sequel is tracking behind its predecessor. While numbers like this aren't a death sentence for a movie with a reported $60 million budget, it's also not a great sign.

Nia DaCosta (2021's "Candyman," "The Marvels") is in the director's chair for this sequel, with "28 Days Later" and "28 Years Later" helmer Danny Boyle producing alongside returning writer Alex Garland. Boyle and Garland also intend to work on the planned third installment as well.

"The Bone Temple" sees Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) from "28 Years Later" make a discovery that could change the world. Meanwhile, young Spike's (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) in the previous movie leads him into a fresh nightmare he can't escape. The cast also includes Erin Kellyman ("Solo: A Star Wars Story"), Emma Laird ("The Brutalist"), and Chi Lewis-Parry ("The Running Man").

With its $151.3 million global take against a $60 million budget, "28 Years Later" was a hit, but not effusively so. Taking in 2.5X one's production budget is generally considered the minimal threshold for theatrical success before taking other revenue streams into account. Against a similar price tag, the sequel doesn't have a lot of wiggle room. If current projections hold, it's going to need longer legs to make up the difference. That's a big reason why "The Bone Temple" made our list of the biggest box office gambles of 2026.

Audience and critical reception is going to be key. Early reactions from fan screenings have been positive, but it's also going to need strong word-of-mouth from general moviegoers. The wild conclusion to "28 Years Later" ended things on a strange note. Will that turn off potential audiences? Or entice them to see where this is all headed, especially since Cillian Murphy's Jim from "28 Days Later" is slated to play a major role in the third installment? For that to matter, Sony needs people to remain invested.

Another obstacle? This month will be packed with horror movies competing more directly with "The Bone Temple," including this weekend's "Primate," "Return to Silent Hill," and Sam Raimi's "Send Help." The pressure is on.

"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" opens in theaters on January 16, 2026.