The horror sequel '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' is off to a chilling start, raking in $2.1 million in previews on Thursday evening, setting the stage for a thrilling MLK weekend at the box office. But here's where it gets interesting: this figure is significantly lower than its predecessor's $5.8 million preview night last summer, which benefited from the Juneteenth holiday buzz.
With a four-day weekend projection of $20-22 million, 'The Bone Temple' is the only major studio release this MLK weekend, going head-to-head with 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' in its fifth week. The latter is expected to bring in $19 million over the same period. The original '28 Years Later' opened to a robust $30 million last June, with a $14.4 million Friday and previews. The franchise's latest installment is directed by Nia DaCosta, known for her work on 'Candyman', taking over from Danny Boyle, who co-architected the franchise.
Demographically, the previous '28 Years Later' attracted an audience that was 75% over 25 years old and 62% male. Men over 25 made up nearly half of the viewers, while women over 25 accounted for 37%, the second-largest demographic group.
Critically acclaimed, 'The Bone Temple' boasts a 94% approval rating, and audiences agree, giving it a stellar 4.5 out of 5 stars on PostTrak. This success is in contrast to the rest of the top 5 movies this week:
- 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' continues its reign, earning $28.9 million (-47%) in its fourth week, bringing its total to $350 million.
- 'The Housemaid', directed by Paul Feig, is close to crossing the $100 million domestic mark, adding $15.6 million (-29%) in its fourth week for a total of $98.6 million.
- 'Primate' swings into theaters with $14.5 million in its opening week.
- 'Zootopia 2' holds steady with $12.4 million (-48%) in its seventh week, accumulating a total of $381.2 million.
- 'Marty Supreme' captures $10.9 million (-42%) in its fourth week, reaching a total of $73.4 million.
And this is the part most people miss: despite the lower preview numbers, 'The Bone Temple' is poised to dominate the box office this weekend, thanks to its strong reviews and the lack of direct competition. But will it live up to the franchise's previous success? The box office will have the final say. What do you think? Is 'The Bone Temple' destined for box office glory, or will it be a one-week wonder? Share your predictions in the comments!
