Can the zombie apocalypse thriller "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" dethrone the sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar: Fire and Ash" at the box office? The latest installment in Sony's "28 Days Later" franchise, directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland, is set to debut domestically over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with an estimated $20 million to $22 million. This marks a significant drop from its predecessor, "28 Years Later," which opened to $30 million last June and went on to gross $70 million in North America and $150 million worldwide on a $60 million budget. The sequel's higher budget of $63 million might be a concern, but it's also a testament to the franchise's enduring appeal. The film has received positive reviews, with a 94% average on Rotten Tomatoes, and Variety's Peter Debruge praises its bold and mind-bending narrative, calling it a satisfying zombie movie with substance. Meanwhile, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in James Cameron's iconic franchise, is still dominating the box office, but its reign might be coming to an end. Despite being a theatrical juggernaut with $1.23 billion in global box office sales, the film is losing steam faster than its predecessors. The first two "Avatar" films held the top spot for seven consecutive weekends, but "Fire and Ash" might only rule for five. The high expectations for "Avatar 3" are understandable, given the success of its predecessors, which are among the biggest movies in history with $2.9 billion and $2.3 billion in box office revenue, respectively. Cameron has even hinted at a potential press conference to decide the fate of "Avatar 4" and "Avatar 5" based on the financial results of the third installment. As for other films in January, Hollywood is offering a few potential hits, including Amazon MGM's sci-fi adventure "Mercy" starring Chris Pratt, Sam Raimi's survival horror film "Send Help," and the action-packed "Shelter" led by Jason Statham. However, January is typically a slower month for movie theaters, and the industry is eagerly awaiting the arrival of bigger releases in the coming months. As Comscore's Paul Dergarabedian notes, "Patience will be a virtue as we await some of the bigger openers on the way." Will "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" or "Avatar: Fire and Ash" reign supreme at the box office? The answer lies in the hands of moviegoers, who will ultimately decide the fate of these box office contenders.
