Box Office Report for the Week of January 18

You would think that, with amazing reviews and (very) strong word-of-mouth, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple would dethrone James Cameron‘s Avatar: Fire and Ash, which has been sitting at the top spot of the weekend box office for five consecutive weeks, ever since its December 18 release, and has grossed over $1.3 billion at the global box office. Clearly, nothing is currently stopping Big Jim from dominating the theatrical landscape, but a change of pace could have been welcome given that 2026 movies are starting to debut in cinemas around the world.

Still, falling short of $3 million isn’t terrible for the Nia DaCosta-directed sequel to Danny Boyle‘s 28 Years Later, which opened domestically at $13 million (below its $22 million projections) and globally at $31.2 million. Strong reviews could help it leg out, especially considering how positive most of the buzz from both critics and fans has been, but it almost doesn’t matter since the third movie, which Boyle will direct, has already been confirmed to happen, and will see Cillian Murphy return to the role that made him a breakout star as Jim.

The 2026 re-release of both The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers made quite the impact this weekend, with the former raking in a $3.5 million tally in 1,686 theatres, and the latter snagging $2.4 million, proving that the appetite is still there for sporadic re-releases of some of the greatest fantasy epics ever crafted for the big screen.

With the 2026 movie season now in full swing, this year could have some interesting box office stories to analyze. Of course, the first few months might be quiet on that front, as holdovers from the 2025 movie season are still being released (can you believe The Testament of Ann Lee is *finally* coming out wide next week?!?!? Insane!), but as more and more 2026 films ramp up their release, we could get some bigger box-office results than the previous year.

We all know what the most anticipated movies of the year may be, but are there any films you’re particularly looking forward to watching in a cinema in 2026? The Odyssey, of course, comes to mind as a not-to-be-missed cinematic experience, but is there anything you’re specifically looking forward to seeing in the theatrical context this year? Personally, I’m morbidly curious to witness Mercy on IMAX 3D next week, but my most anticipated theatrical experience of the year might be Jackass 5. Jackass Forever was the second film I saw after cinemas reopened in my area in the wake of COVID, and the audience’s collective laughter for 90 uninterrupted minutes was just what the doctor ordered.

What about you? Sound off in the comments below!

Here is the full list of the top ten films of the weekend:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash (Disney): $13.3M (-38%) – 3,300 theatres
2. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Sony): $13.0M – 3,506 theatres
3. Zootopia 2 (Disney): $8.7M (-12%) – 3,100 theatres
4. The Housemaid (Lionsgate): $8.5M (-22%) – 3,101 theatres
5. Marty Supreme (A24): $5.4M (-27%) – 2,027 theatres
6. Primate (Paramount): $5.0M (-55%) – 2,964 theatres
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – 2026 Re-Release (Warner Bros): $3.5M – 1,686 theatres
8. Greenland 2: Migration (Lionsgate):$3.3M (-60%) – 2,718 theatres
9. Anaconda (Sony): $3.2M (-36%) – 2,424 theatres
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2026 Re-Release (Warner Bros): $2.4M – 1,688 theatres

Source: Comscore