Nia DaCosta’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” took the top spot at the domestic box office on Friday, ending the four-week reign of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
“The Bone Temple,” the sequel to last summer’s “28 Years Later,” and the fourth film in Sony’s long-running zombie series, grossed $5.6 million in its opening day in 3,506 theaters in North America. The horror-thriller is expected to earn an additional $15 million through Martin Luther King Jr.’s four-day holiday slot. The final episode, directed by “28 Days Later” director Danny Boyle, grossed $30 million in its traditional three-day window, $70 million in the U.S., and $150 million worldwide. The film cost $60 million to make, while “The Bone Temple” cost slightly more to make at $63 million.
Franchise mastermind Alex Garland wrote the screenplay for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which follows Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell and Alfie Williams as they navigate the British countryside and battle a deadly rage virus. The film received rave reviews from critics and received an “A-” rating from audience polling company CinemaScore, an unusual feat for the horror genre.
“Avatar: Fire and Ashes” opened in North American theaters for the fifth time Friday and ranked second with $3.2 million. Prime Minister James Cameron’s third visit to Pandora is expected to add an estimated $17 million through the MLK slot. Total domestic sales are expected to reach about $367 million by Monday. Although it has missed out on the box office crown for “Fire and Ashes,” the film is expected to extend its winning streak into the weekend and stay at number one for five consecutive weeks. The original Avatar and its sequel, The Way of Water, both topped the box office for seven consecutive weeks.
At the domestic box office, Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare play “Hamnet” expanded to 718 locations in North America after a few weeks of limited release. The film grossed $13 million during its initial release and added another $370,000 on Friday. “Hamnet” should raise $1.6 million through MLK Day.
On Friday, Lionsgate’s thriller “The Housemaid” added $2.5 million to take third place. Domestic grosses are expected to reach $109 million over the holiday season, an impressive feat considering it only cost $35 million to make. Starring Sidney Sweeney and director Paul Feig are returning to the role, and a sequel is already in the works.
Paramount’s monkey horror “Primate” reached No. 6 on its second Friday in North American theaters, earning an additional $1.4 million. The film opened last weekend on a strong note, grossing $13.4 million worldwide against a $21 million budget. The domestic total is expected to reach $6.2 million by Monday.
Rounding out the top five are holiday relics “Marty Supreme” and “Zootopia 2.” Disney’s “Zootopia 2” ranked fourth domestically on Friday with $1.9 million. The film has shown surprising staying power considering it was released in November. Rivals estimates the film will gross $12 million in the four-day period leading up to MLK Day, bringing its North American box office total to $393 million. A24’s “Marty Supreme” came in fifth place with an estimated domestic gross of $1.6 million. The domestic total is expected to reach about $80 million by Monday.
