28 Years Later Beats Emily Rose At Global Box Office ( Photo Credit – X )
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Danny Boyle wrapped up the theatrical run of 28 Years Later after a month, and now the film is headed toward PVOD and eventually streaming, where it might attract more eyes. The third part of the long-running zombie saga did not exactly explode at the box office but still ended up with a solid $145 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo), which makes it one of the highest-grossing horror films ever and the third-biggest hit of Boyle’s career.
— 28 Years Later Movie (@28YearsLaterMov) July 22, 2025
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28 Years Later Box Office Vs Expectations
Boyle’s most successful film remains Slumdog Millionaire, which crossed the $375 million mark and bagged the top Oscar. Yesterday, released in 2019, made more than $150 million globally but ended up being branded a failure due to studio math tricks. That might also be the case with 28 Years Later, especially with its reported $60 million budget hanging over it, reports Collider.
28 Years Later Box Office Summary
Domestic- $68.9 million
International – $76.5 million
Worldwide Collection – $145.4 million
When it comes to the highest-grossing horror movies of all time, 28 Years Later stands at the 70th place, just below 2023 horror hit, Evil Dead Rise, which has earned $147m.
The expectations related to the movie were higher before it was even released, and it did pull in half of what early projections hoped for. Sony, already low on franchise fuel, now looks toward the next installment, due in January, with fingers crossed. The upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will be followed by another part, which is already written but waiting for a green light.
28 Years Later Surpasses The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Global Box Office
Despite its performance, 28 Years Later managed to leapfrog several horror staples, recently inching past the total global take of The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which brought in $145.1 million since its 2005 release.
The movie boasted a strong cast, including the likes of Jennifer Carpenter, who played the titular character, and Laura Linney, and was based on the real-life possession of a young German woman named Anneliese Michel. The movie was shot only with a small budget of $20m, but managed to pull off big numbers despite mixed critical response and a low 45%Rotten Tomatoes score.
Interestingly, The Exorcism of Emily Rose also stands just a place lower than 28 Years Later in the all-time highest-grossing horror movies list.
Scott Derrickson, the director behind Emily Rose, moved on to helm Sinister, The Black Phone, and its upcoming follow-up, Black Phone 2.
Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic saga, which began with 28 Days Later and continued with 28 Weeks Later, has found renewed relevance decades later. With 28 Years Later set to arrive on streaming platforms soon, its legacy may only continue to grow as new audiences discover the franchise.
