Avatar 5-Peats Box Office, Horror Sequel Underwhelms

• Avatar sequel earns $13.3 million to stay No. 1
• The Bone Temple opens at $13 million, below $20 million forecasts
• Zootopia 2 becomes highest-grossing MPA animated release ever at $1.7 billion globally
• Why it matters: Holiday crowds favored familiar franchises over new horror, leaving Sony’s pricey sequel in a tough financial spot

James Cameron’s sci-fi epic pulled in an estimated $13.3 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio figures compiled by Ryan J. Thompson. Disney projects the film will reach $17.2 million by the end of Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta and released by Sony Pictures, landed in second with $13 million for the three-day frame. Exhibitors expect about $15 million through Monday-still short of the $20 million benchmark tracking services had predicted.

Shot for a reported $63 million before marketing, the R-rated chiller stars Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell. It bowed in 3,506 theaters amid glowing reviews, sporting a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 72% “definitely recommend” rating from PostTrak exit polls.

Despite horror’s traditionally robust January track record, turnout lagged. Industry observers note the franchise’s quick turnaround: The Bone Temple arrives only seven months after 28 Years Later opened to $30 million in June.

> “It’s one of those head-scratchers,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “There may be a little bit of confusion from audiences. But word-of-mouth might sustain it in this marketplace, like we saw with The Housemaid and Zootopia 2.”

Overseas, The Bone Temple collected $16.2 million from 61 markets, bringing its worldwide launch to roughly $29 million-a pace that will require sturdy legs to recoup production and promotional costs.

Disney also notched a milestone as Zootopia 2 added $8.8 million domestically in its eighth weekend. The animated hit has now amassed $1.7 billion globally, overtaking Inside Out 2 as the top-grossing animated Motion Picture Association release in industry rankings.

The MPA designation excludes China’s Ne Zha 2, which has earned more than $2.2 billion locally. Zootopia 2 now stands as the ninth-biggest global release of all time across all genres.

The Housemaid secured fourth place with $8.5 million. The Lionsgate thriller, budgeted at just $35 million, has raced past $250 million worldwide.

A24’s Marty Supreme rounded out the top five, grossing $5.5 million and pushing its North American haul to $79.7 million-the indie distributor’s biggest domestic performer, eclipsing Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Warner Bros. re-released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers this weekend, landing at seventh and tenth respectively. The Fellowship earned $3.6 million, while Two Towers added $2.4 million.

Focus Features widened Hamnet to 718 locations following its Golden Globe triumph. The period drama, which earned best drama film and best female actor for Jessie Buckley, generated $1.3 million through Sunday and remains in the awards-season conversation.

Original 28 Days Later collaborators Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are already developing a third installment, keeping the zombie saga on track even as The Bone Temple fights for profitability.

Weekend top 10

Estimated domestic ticket sales Friday-Sunday, according to Comscore:

Rank	Title	Gross
1	Avatar: Fire and Ash	$13.3M
2	28 Years Later: The Bone Temple	$13.0M
3	Zootopia 2	$8.8M
4	The Housemaid	$8.5M
5	Marty Supreme	$5.5M
6	Primate	$5.0M
7	LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (re-issue)	$3.6M
8	Greenland 2: Migration	$3.4M
9	Anaconda	$3.2M
10	LOTR: The Two Towers (re-issue)	$2.4M

Final four-day figures will be released Tuesday.

Author

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  Ryan J. Thompson

  Ryan J. Thompson covers transportation and infrastructure for newsoffortworth.com, reporting on how highways, transit, and major projects shape Fort Worth’s growth. A UNT journalism graduate, he’s known for investigative reporting that explains who decides, who pays, and who benefits from infrastructure plans.