The horror thriller '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' is facing a rocky start at the domestic box office, with a disappointing opening weekend. The film, directed by Nia DaCosta, follows two intersecting storylines. One focuses on Spike (Alfie Williams), who seeks freedom from the clutches of Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) and his Satanic cult. The other centers on Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who stumbles upon a potential cure for the rage virus during encounters with the alpha zombie Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Despite the intriguing premise, the film's performance has been underwhelming, falling short of initial projections. Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind the film, reported a Friday gross of $5.6 million from 3,506 North American theaters. However, trade publications had predicted a much higher opening, with Variety estimating $20-22 million and Deadline forecasting over $20 million. The film's underperformance is notable, considering the $63 million net production budget and the success of the original '28 Years Later,' which earned over $150 million worldwide. Meanwhile, 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' is expected to dominate the box office for the fifth consecutive weekend, with projections of $17.6 million over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Disney's 'Zootopia 2' is predicted to take the number three spot, followed by Lionsgate's 'The Housemaid' and A24's 'Marty Supreme'.
