28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Tracking $20M+ MLK Weekend Opening

Sony's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is projected to earn over $20 million during the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend starting January 16, 2026. Following positive fan screenings and the recent greenlight for a third franchise installment—with Cillian Murphy in talks to return—the horror sequel directed by Nia DaCosta eyes a strong debut amid competition.

Sony's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta, written by Alex Garland, and produced by Danny Boyle, is tracking for more than $20 million over the MLK weekend (January 16-19, 2026), potentially joining 32 films to hit that mark during the holiday. Tickets go on sale January 2.

This follows the June 2025 release of 28 Years Later, which opened to $30 million domestically and grossed $151.3 million worldwide. Bone Temple continues in a divided society, with young Spike joining Jack O'Connell's Sir Jimmy Crystal gang as Ralph Fiennes' Dr. Kelson contains the infected.

Rapturous fan screenings in December across Los Angeles, New York, London, and more prompted Sony to fast-track a third film, with Garland scripting and Boyle interested in directing. Murphy, star of the 2002 original, features in a surprise end-credits role setting up his return.

Tracking leads among men over 25, akin to Nosferatu's $21.6 million three-day open. It faces Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire and Chloe Zhao's Hamnet. Fan reactions mix praise for unconventional style with critiques of the prior film's modest performance.

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Cinema marquee highlighting '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' $2.1M previews and $15M MLK projections, with zombie bone temple scene and 94% Rotten Tomatoes score.
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hauls $2.1M in previews amid updated $15M MLK projections

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Updating pre-release projections, Sony's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple earned $2.1 million in Thursday previews ahead of its U.S. debut, now tracking $13 million over three days and $15 million for the four-day MLK weekend. Nia DaCosta's zombie sequel, featuring a cult inspired by Jimmy Savile, holds a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and battles Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Sony's zombie sequel "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is projected to earn $20 million to $22 million in its four-day domestic debut over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, challenging James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire and Ash" for the top spot. The film arrives six months after its predecessor and boasts strong reviews amid light competition. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" seeks $18 million to $19 million in its fifth weekend.

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Nia DaCosta's '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' has premiered to positive critical reception as a brutal sequel in the zombie franchise. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, the film explores a post-apocalyptic England gripped by the Rage virus. Directed by the 'Candyman' filmmaker, it builds on Danny Boyle's previous entry with heightened horror elements.

James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash continues to dominate the box office, earning $21.3 million in its fourth weekend. The film outperformed newcomers Primate and Greenland 2: Migration, which debuted with $11.3 million and $8.5 million respectively. Overall, the weekend's totals suggest a steady but not explosive start to the year for cinemas.

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Following $2 million in Christmas Eve previews and a $9.5 million Christmas Day debut, A24's Marty Supreme earned $6.7 million Friday from 2,668 locations, projecting $30 million over the post-Christmas weekend. Timothée Chalamet's table tennis drama, directed by Josh Safdie and inspired by 1950s champion Marty Reisman, trails only Avatar: Fire and Ash ($22.6 million Friday) with strong per-screen averages.

Universal Pictures has pulled the 'M3GAN' spinoff 'Soulm8te' from its January 9, 2026, release schedule and is shopping the film to other studios. The decision follows the underwhelming box office performance of 'M3GAN 2.0' earlier this year. Directed by Kate Dolan, 'Soulm8te' is an erotic sci-fi thriller produced by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.

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The M3GAN spin-off Soulm8te has received an R rating from the MPAA months after Universal pulled it from its January 2026 release schedule. The rating signals potential studio interest in reviving the erotic sci-fi thriller, per a GamesRadar+ report.

 

 

 

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