As 28 Years Later continues its astounding run, it has already reached new heights for the franchise. It comes two decades after 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007) brought the franchise to life, partly because of numerous delays that pushed the movie to 2025. After the long wait, critics have been thrilled by the results.

The latest movie in its franchise, 28 Years Later, follows a group of survivors who have secured themselves on a semi-isolated island. After discovering a devastating mutation, the survivors face new threats from the now-intelligent infected. The cast is led by Jodie Comer (Isla), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Jamie), Alfie Williams (Spike), and other major actors.

The box office response has been shocking, as the movie has grossed $103 million total globally, thanks partly to its $50.3 million domestic gross. That means that it crossed two major milestones this weekend, including $100 million worldwide and $50 million domestically. It is only 28 Years Later‘s second weekend, so future weekends should only see that total continue to climb.

What This Means For 28 Years Later’s Box Office

28 Years Later Should Easily Achieve A Profit

The 28 Days Later franchise has never been a box office juggernaut, despite maintaining a fairly positive reputation. That was what made 28 Years Later‘s $60 million budget so surprising, as it would need to outgross the original movies by a mᴀssive amount just to achieve a profit. Check out the chart below, which showcases the franchise’s totals:

In order to profit on a $60 million budget, the movie may need to earn around $150 million, which would mean earning more than the original two movies combined. Adjusting for inflation, it would not be nearly that drastic, but it would still be a significant accomplishment that did not originally appear to be probable.

Crossing the $100 million mark by week two, however, indicates that profit is certainly a possibility. It faced a sharp drop from its debut to its sophomore weekend, as the total fell by 68%. Still, crossing that milestone is an excellent indication that profitability remains a distinct possibility. It should also benefit from additional revenue when it comes to streaming.

Our Take On 28 Years Later’s Milestone

It Is An Impressive Accomplishment In The Streaming Era

This milestone is an impressive accomplishment for the cast and crew. While the week-to-week drop was significant, most horror movies face strong drops after their opening weekend, so it is nothing to necessarily criticize 28 Years Later for. It should instead be praised for reaching $100 million at all in an increasingly tumultuous box office.

With the streaming era now dominating Hollywood, audiences have been far more content to wait for movies to come to their designated streaming platforms. Some horror movies, including Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023), even debuted on streaming and in theaters at the same time. Any movie that earns a profit in theaters is doing so despite these conditions.

Having crossed the $100 million milestone, 28 Years Later has already proven to be an impressive accomplishment. It will need to draw more income if the planned trilogy is to be completed. Still, it is well on its way to an eventual profit, especially after having outgrossed the original movies.

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Source: Sony