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28 Years Later has been one of the most notable horror franchises in Hollywood in recent years. The horror universe, created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, began with 28 Days Later in 2002. The film starred Cillian Murphy and became a major box office hit. The franchise later expanded with 28 Weeks Later in 2007 and 28 Years Later in 2025. Both installments performed strongly at the box office. However, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which was released in January this year, failed to replicate that success.
Despite earning the highest critics’ score of the franchise and marking the return of Cillian Murphy, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple struggled at the box office from its opening. Here are three key reasons why the Nia DaCosta-directed film, also starring Ralph Fiennes in a pivotal role, underperformed despite being one of the stronger entries in the franchise.
Poor Release Timing Amid Strong Competition
It is now a no-brainer in Hollywood that films tend to receive their strongest response when released during the summer or year-end window, especially around the Christmas and New Year season. In contrast, movies, regardless of quality, often struggle at the box office when released during the fall or in the latter half of January and February.
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple fits that pattern with precision. Released on January 14, the film arrived when theater footfalls typically thin out following the Christmas–New Year surge. Audience interest remained limited from the start.
At the same time, holdover titles like Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and The Housemaid kept dominating viewer attention, a situation that has shown no signs of slowing down. Even with a wide screen presence across the US and overseas markets, The Bone Temple failed to stand its ground against that competition.
Underwhelming Box Office Opening & Performance When Compared To Expectations
Early box office numbers quickly raised concern for the franchise. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple collected only $5.5 million on opening, a response far below expectations. Comparisons with the last installment only deepen the concern. 28 Years Later debuted with $14.4 million, nearly three times higher, highlighting the sharp decline in interest for the new chapter.
Moreover, the broader opening picture offered little relief. The Bone Temple managed only $12.5 million against a production budget of $63 million, the highest ever for the horror franchise. Recovering such a budget becomes an uphill task when the opening phase underperforms to this extent, leaving limited room for recovery in later weeks.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Box Office Summary (via Box Office Mojo)
- North America – $21.3 million
- International – $25.3 million
- Worldwide – $46.6 million
Short Release Gap Fueling Franchise Fatigue
The release strategy further weakened the film’s prospects. Franchise titles benefit from breathing room, allowing anticipation to build and audiences to reconnect. The Bone Temple arrived only six months after 28 Years Later, a gap too short to generate excitement. The close scheduling instead contributed to franchise fatigue and limited pre-release buzz.
Creative choices from the earlier chapter also played a role. The previous installment shifted focus away from core horror elements toward emotional character arcs, a direction that failed to resonate widely.
The franchise once relied on long gaps to sustain interest, with 28 Weeks Later arriving in 2007 after 28 Days Later, followed by 28 Years Later in 2015. Those extended intervals helped maintain curiosity, a contrast that makes The Bone Temple’s rushed release timing stand out as a costly miscalculation.
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