“The Bone Temple Tops Friday Box Office with $5.6 Million”
Nia DaCosta’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” has taken the top spot at the domestic box office, earning $5.6 million on its opening day. This marks the end of a month-long reign of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
The Bone Temple Takes Box Office Lead
The film debuted in 3,506 North American theaters. “The Bone Temple” is the sequel to last year’s “28 Years Later” and serves as the fourth installment in Sony’s long-standing zombie franchise. The horror-thriller is projected to accumulate around $15 million throughout the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
A Strong Start
- Opening Day Earnings: $5.6 million
- Theaters: 3,506
- Weekend Estimate: $15 million
The previous installment, directed by Danny Boyle, opened to $30 million over its initial three days and concluded its run with $70 million domestically and $150 million globally. Although “The Bone Temple” had a slightly higher production budget of $63 million, it is expected to perform well.
Positive Reception
The screenplay for “The Bone Temple” was crafted by Alex Garland, featuring actors Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, and Alfie Williams. Critics have praised the film, awarding it an “A-” rating from CinemaScore, a notable achievement for the horror genre.
Box Office Competition
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” secured the second position with earnings of $3.2 million during its fifth Friday in theaters. The film, directed by James Cameron, is poised to earn an estimated $17 million through the holiday weekend, bringing its total domestic gross to approximately $367 million by Monday.
Other Notable Releases
Chloé Zhao’s drama “Hamnet” expanded its reach to 718 locations after a limited release and earned $370,000 on Friday. It is expected to generate a total of $1.6 million by the end of the weekend.
- Hamnet: $370,000 Friday earnings
- Weekend Projection: $1.6 million
In third place, Lionsgate’s thriller “The Housemaid” earned $2.5 million on Friday and aims for a total of $109 million by the holiday weekend. A sequel is already in development with star Sydney Sweeney and director Paul Feig.
Other Films in the Mix
Paramount’s horror film “Primate” ranks sixth, bringing in $1.4 million its second Friday. The film opened with $13.4 million worldwide against a $21 million budget. The domestic total is expected to reach $6.2 million by Monday.
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” and A24’s “Marty Supreme” also continue to perform well, rounding out the top five with respective earnings of $1.9 million and $1.6 million on Friday. Overall, the box office landscape remains competitive as several films vie for audience attention this holiday weekend.
