Lead: Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Disney continued to drive the global box office: James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire And Ash crossed roughly $1.3 billion worldwide while Zootopia 2 reached $1.7 billion, extending Disney’s run as the top global distributor for eight straight weekends. Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opened internationally and posted a $31.2 million global weekend (including a $15 million four‑day domestic frame) despite softer U.S. returns. Paul Feig’s Housemaid remains a solid performer, now the director’s second highest grossing title after Bridesmaids. Regional patterns and genre differences shaped results, producing strong cumulative totals in several major markets and mixed holds elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
- Avatar: Fire And Ash added $61.7M worldwide this weekend (Dom $17.2M; Int’l $44.5M) for a running global cume of $1.32B (Dom $367.4M; Int’l $955.3M).
- Zootopia 2 is now the highest grossing MPA animated film ever with a global cume of $1.7B (this weekend WW $36.3M; Dom cume $393.2M; Int’l cume $1.313B).
- Housemaid reported a weekend of Dom $10.1M and Int’l $26.6M for a $36.7M weekend and a WW cume of $247.3M (Dom cume $108.7M; Int’l cume $138.6M); it is Paul Feig’s second biggest box office title after Bridesmaids ($324.8M unadjusted).
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opened to a $31.2M global weekend (Dom $15M four‑day; Int’l $16.2M from 10,100+ screens across 61 markets) and scored No. 1 in the UK and Mexico this frame.
- Avatar’s international frame fell approximately 33% overall with varied holds: Germany -14%, Spain -17%, France -28%, China -33%, UK -36%, Korea -43%, Italy -47%, Japan -47%.
- China leads Avatar territory totals with $155.4M, followed by France $98.9M, Germany $80.3M, UK $51.4M and Korea $51.1M.
- Genre differences continue to shape performance: supernatural horror shows strength in some Catholic and Asian markets, while gore-based horror is more variable by territory.
- Smaller releases—Anaconda, Hamnet and Song Sung Blue—posted modest weekend returns but important market-specific upticks (e.g., Anaconda holding in Australia and Hamnet expanding in the U.K. and Australia).
Background
Disney’s current global dominance is the result of back‑to‑back tentpoles and strong international distribution networks. The studio has claimed the top global release for eight consecutive weekends, driven by franchise recognition, heavy marketing and wide territory openings. Zootopia 2’s climb to $1.7B marks a rare milestone for animated features in the Motion Picture Association era, and its China and Japan performances remain particularly noteworthy.
James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has historically been an international powerhouse; Fire And Ash is following that pattern with especially large receipts in China and Western Europe. Studios now routinely budget substantial P&A to secure peak launch windows in major overseas markets because theatrical legs and post‑theatrical windows still yield crucial revenue for high‑budget tentpoles. At the same time, mid‑budget and genre films are increasingly reliant on targeted regional strategies to maximize returns.
Main Event
Avatar: Fire And Ash finished the weekend with $61.7M globally (Dom $17.2M; Int’l $44.5M), bringing the worldwide cume to roughly $1.32B. Internationally the movie weathered a broad single‑digit to mid‑40s percentage decline in many territories; China remains the largest foreign market with $155.4M to date. The film ranked No. 3 in China this weekend behind Zootopia 2 and a local title, The Fire Raven.
Housemaid held well across 71 territories with a $36.7M global weekend (Dom $10.1M; Int’l $26.6M). The U.K. weekend dipped about 17% to roughly $3.9M, leaving a running U.K. total near $30.4M via Lionsgate U.K. The dark comedic thriller showed resilience in Latin America and Brazil specifically, where it reached No. 1 through localized campaigns.
Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple recorded a four‑day domestic figure of $15M and $16.2M internationally for a $31.2M worldwide weekend. The film opened No. 1 in the U.K. this frame (approx. $4.6M) and claimed the top spot in Mexico (approx. $1.5M), even as its 3‑day domestic figure was around $13M. Sony leaned on a broad international rollout—10,100+ screens across 61 markets—to produce its global tally.
Other specialist releases had mixed fortunes. Anaconda continues to perform in markets like Australia ($9.7M cumulative) and the U.K. ($7.1M), while Hamnet is expanding in select Commonwealth markets with early strength in Australia and the U.K. Song Sung Blue posted limited openings but notable outperformance in Australia.
Analysis & Implications
Disney’s consecutive global wins highlight how scale and franchise recognition reduce risk on the worldwide stage. With Avatar and Zootopia 2 both surpassing large cumulative milestones, Disney’s ability to stagger releases and maintain market saturation has produced sustained box office dominance. For competitors, the lesson is clear: counterprogramming and targeted regional rollouts are necessary to find open windows.
Genre and cultural tastes remain determinative factors for international box office outcomes. The Bone Temple’s pattern—strong in the U.K. and parts of Europe but soft in the U.S.—illustrates that horror subgenres travel unevenly. Supernatural elements generally perform better in some Catholic countries and parts of Asia, while graphic gore can find pockets of success (Germany, for example) but often underperforms across much of Latin America.
Mid‑budget franchise sequels and prestige films face a different calculus. Housemaid’s steady totals and Paul Feig’s elevated career ranking show that adult‑oriented, star‑led features can still drive substantial global returns without blockbuster budgets. However, marketing spend and release timing (P&A) will be decisive in converting awareness to sustained box office.
Comparison & Data
| Title | Weekend WW | Dom / Int’l Weekend | WW Cume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar: Fire And Ash | $61.7M | $17.2M / $44.5M | $1.32B |
| Housemaid | $36.7M | $10.1M / $26.6M | $247.3M |
| Zootopia 2 | $36.3M | $12.0M / $24.3M | $1.7B |
| 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | $31.2M | $15.0M / $16.2M | — (opening) |
The table above shows how wide releases and territory depth affect totals: Avatar’s outsized cume reflects prolonged runs across major overseas territories, whereas 28 Years Later’s immediate global number was driven by a dense, simultaneous rollout despite uneven domestic interest.
Reactions & Quotes
Audiences gave The Bone Temple an A‑ on Cinemascore, indicating a strong initial reception among ticket buyers.
Cinemascore (audience polling)
“Horror plays very differently by market; supernatural beats in some countries, explicit gore in others,”
International box office analyst
“Disney’s back‑to‑back tentpoles make it very difficult for competitors to find a clear release window,”
Distribution strategist (industry source)
Unconfirmed
- The commonly cited production figure of $63M net for 28 Years Later, attributed to U.K. tax credits, has not been confirmed by an official studio release.
- Reports that Third‑party financier TSG covers roughly half of the Bone Temple budget are based on industry whispers and remain unverified.
- Claims that Danny Boyle, Alex Garland and Peter Rice each receive around $15M per picture come from unnamed sources and are not corroborated by contract disclosures.
- Some regional box office splits reported in early international tallies (e.g., differing U.K. weekend totals for Bone Temple between launch windows) reflect provisional data and may be revised.
Bottom Line
Disney’s twin crown—Avatar: Fire And Ash and Zootopia 2—illustrates the continuing advantage of global franchise ownership and carefully staged international campaigns. The $1.32B and $1.7B cume marks are indicators of scale that few competing releases can match in the near term.
Sony’s 28 Years Later demonstrates the tradeoffs of a broad global opening: strong early international receipts can compensate for weaker domestic turnout, but long‑term profitability will depend on sustained holds, ancillary revenue and marketing costs. Mid‑budget features such as Housemaid show that disciplined targeting and genre positioning still deliver meaningful box office results.