“Bone Temple” disappoints with $15M debut, lags behind “Avatar 3” 28 years later

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple didn’t quite meet box office expectations, earning $15 million during the MLK weekend, falling short of the anticipated $20 million. It was beat out by the movie ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ which raked in around $17.2 million, now totaling $353.4 million domestic and over $1.23 billion globally after being out for five weeks.

Compared to the first installment of the series, the opening weekend for The Bone Temple fell short. The original film opened at $30 million over three days in June 2025. Despite these numbers, The Bone Temple received positive feedback from critics, earning a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Bone Temple is the second movie in the ’28 Years Later’ trilogy, created by producer Danny Boyle, writer Alex Cox, and director Nia DaCosta. This sequel follows Dr. Kelson (Fiennes), a character introduced in 28 Years Later. According to a synopsis, the focus isn’t just on the infected, but also on the survivors who pose a new threat to survival through their inhumanity.

The cast includes Erin Kellyman, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Laird, Maura Bird, and Cillian Murphy, who reprises his role as Jim from the original film, 28 Days Later.