28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Director Responds After Sequel Struggles at the Box Office

The 28 Years Later franchise may have had big plans, but right now, things are looking a little uncertain.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hit theaters in January 2026, only a few months after 28 Years Later brought the series back with solid box office success. But even though The Bone Temple received strong reviews, including an 8/10 from IGN, the movie didn’t pull in the same numbers.

The sequel made around $58 million worldwide, which is a big drop compared to the $151 million made by 28 Years Later. That’s not exactly the kind of momentum you want when you’re trying to build out a planned trilogy.

Director Nia DaCosta recently spoke with Empire about the movie’s performance, and she seemed genuinely surprised by how things turned out.

She explained that, by most industry standards, the film looked like it should have connected with audiences. The reviews were strong, people seemed to like the movie, and the response from those who saw it was positive. But unfortunately, that didn’t translate into a huge box office run.

DaCosta also brought up one possible reason the movie may have struggled: timing.

Since The Bone Temple came out so soon after 28 Years Later, some moviegoers may not have even realized it was a brand-new sequel. According to DaCosta, some people thought it was the same movie they had already seen the previous summer.

That makes sense. When two movies from the same franchise release that close together, especially with similar titles, casual fans can easily get confused. And in today’s movie market, where audiences are already being selective about what they see in theaters, confusion can hurt a film fast.

Now the big question is: what happens to Part Three?

Earlier this year, Cillian Murphy said he was interested in finishing the trilogy after making a cameo in The Bone Temple. Sony had also previously confirmed that a third movie was moving forward before The Bone Temple was even released.

The next entry is expected to be written by Alex Garland, who has been involved with the franchise from the beginning. There has also been talk of Danny Boyle wanting to direct it.

But with The Bone Temple underperforming, there has been a lot of silence around the third movie. No official title, no major updates, and no clear confirmation on when or if it will actually happen.

Personally, I think this is one of those situations where the studio has to decide if they believe in the long-term value of the franchise. Not every movie that underperforms is a bad movie. Sometimes the release strategy, marketing, timing, or audience awareness just doesn’t line up the way it should.

If the reviews were strong and fans who actually saw the movie enjoyed it, then there may still be life left in this trilogy. But Sony will need to make sure the next movie feels like an event, not just another quick follow-up that gets lost in the shuffle.

For now, fans are stuck waiting to see if 28 Years Later will actually get its final chapter. And honestly, after everything this franchise has built, it would be a shame if the story ended here.