A year ago, horror fans were jazzed about the return of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later franchise with the impending release of 28 Years Later . That excitement continued when the film became a big hit after opening in June 2025; at the time, the decision to release 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple just six months later made perfect sense. But when Nia DaCosta’s sequel opened in January 2026 , the box office ultimately didn’t reflect the expected audience enthusiasm .

Looking back now, the director (Candyman, The Marvels, Hedda) is disappointed by The Bone Temple ‘s failure to reach the same heights as 28 Years Later .

Speaking to Empire , she noted the financial shortfall came as something of a surprise, since the film was well-received by both critics and fans (currently at 92% and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes , respectively).

“It’s so funny, because literally every barometer we use in the industry to determine whether or not a movie is good, and people like it and want to see it, was through the roof, and yet our…