28 Years Later has reached a box office milestone, overtaking a Christopher Nolan project and one of the highest-grossing movies in Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s filmography. The horror drama, directed by Danny Boyle, continues the 28 Days Later franchise, following a young boy who abandons his isolated community on a dangerous endeavor, discovering the mainland and rage-infected humans.
Along with Taylor-Johnson, the 28 Years Later cast includes Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes. According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, 28 Years Later is projected to hit $60 million domestically in its third weekend, dropping 56% and generating $4.3 million for the three days. Thus, the horror film will now surpᴀss Taylor-Johnson’s Tenet, which completed its theatrical release at $58.5 million domestically.
What Overtaking Tenet Means For 28 Years Later
The Movie Was Released At A Better Time
Surpᴀssing Tenet domestically suggests that 28 Years Later has benefited from its more preferable release date. Directed by Oscar-winner Christopher Nolan, the former sci-fi thriller features a compelling story and an excellent ensemble cast, including Taylor-Johnson, John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and more.
However, Tenet opened amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when theater-going had decreased. The overall box office managed to pᴀss $365 million, but Tenet is still considered one of Nolan’s more disappointing recent releases. In contrast, 28 Years Later is part of a popular genre series, and it will be interesting to see where its box office eventually ends.
Upon premiering, the movie earned around $30 million, which marked a high for the 28 Days Later franchise. It has also surpᴀssed $100 million globally, already achieving a larger total than another Taylor-Johnson film — Kraven the Hunter, released by Sony in 2024 — and should continue to have a strong theatrical run.
Our Take On The 28 Years Later Box Office
How Much Further Can It Go?
The commercial success of 28 Years Later is a win for Taylor-Johnson, following his other horror hit in Nosferatu, in which he portrays Friedrich Harding. The zombie movie should also overtake Shanghai Knights soon, moving even further ahead on Taylor-Johnson’s highest-grossing chart.
However, as more summer blockbusters are released, the 28 Years Later box office will likely continue slowing down. Tracking the box office will remain important, especially because reactions have largely been split between critics and audiences, as evidenced by the 88% Tomatometer score and 63% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Taylor-Johnson is returning in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, premiering on January 16, 2026, and the numbers are worth keeping an eye on because of how they will set up the sequel for success or failure — and determine how 28 Years Later factors into its lead actor’s legacy.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, The Numbers
