28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and the disappointing box office

Nia DaCosta’s film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was released in January 2026, just a little over six months after the successful 28 Years Later. While the original earned an impressive $151 million worldwide, The Bone Temple has seen its box office performance fall short, bringing in just $58 million globally.

Disappointing performance

Despite a positive reception, including an 8/10 score from IGN, The Bone Temple struggled to draw audiences to theaters. In an interview with Empire, director Nia DaCosta expressed surprise at the result. “All the indicators we use in the industry to determine whether a film is good were great, but our box office was not where it needed to be,” DaCosta said.

Trilogy development

With The Bone Temple’s disappointing performance, the question remains whether a third film will still happen. In March 2026, Cillian Murphy said he was excited to bring the trilogy to a close. Sony’s December 2025 confirmation that it would move ahead with the next film came just weeks before The Bone Temple’s release.

Creative leadership

Alex Garland, the director of Elden Ring, who is responsible for the scripts of all the films in the franchise, will return to work on the third movie. The title of this new addition is not yet known, but director Danny Boyle has said he is willing to take it on.

Conclusion

The future of the 28 Years Later franchise now depends on the response from both audiences and the studio. The combination of a quick follow-up and audience confusion may have played a major role in The Bone Temple’s disappointing box office. Fans are hoping for a positive turn in the development of the third installment, which could potentially take the trilogy to new heights.