The year 2026 has been a mixed bag for science fiction cinema, with some notable releases experiencing varied success. The year commenced with Greenland 2: Migration, a sequel to the 2020 disaster film that ventured into sci-fi territory, but unfortunately proved to be a significant box office failure. Shortly after, Amazon MGM released Mercy, an AI sci-fi thriller starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. Despite struggling to recoup its $60 million budget in theaters, Mercy has found redemption as one of the most popular movies globally on Prime Video. Meanwhile, Netflix subscribers have embraced Alan Ritchson’s War Machine, which is being lauded as an ideal blend of Predator and Edge of Tomorrow, quickly becoming the streamer’s biggest movie of 2026.

Among the year's releases, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple stands out as one of the most bizarre sci-fi films and a unique entry in the genre's history. This direct sequel to the 2025 sci-fi film 28 Years Later, itself a legacy sequel to the 2002 horror cult classic 28 Days Later, took a risk with its distinctive take on sci-fi horror. The gamble appears to have paid off critically, as The Bone Temple earned strong aggregate scores of 92% from critics and 89% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. After its recent premiere on Netflix in America, it has quietly ascended to become one of the platform’s most popular movies, despite facing competition from the premiere of Anaconda, starring Jack Black.

The future of the 28 Years Later franchise, initially announced in 2024 with a planned trilogy by Alex Garland, is now in question. A third film was officially confirmed to be in development in December 2025, a month before The Bone Temple's theatrical release. The first two films, 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple, were shot back-to-back, ensuring their release. Financially, the first film, 28 Years Later, was a success, grossing $151 million against a $60 million budget. However, The Bone Temple proved to be a massive flop, earning only $58 million against a $63 million budget.

Given The Bone Temple's financial underperformance, Sony is reportedly reconsidering funding the third and final installment, as there is no guarantee of financial success. Nevertheless, the prospect of Cillian Murphy’s return as Jim has fans eagerly hoping for the third movie to reach the big screen. Both 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple are currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Key production details for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple include a release date of January 16, 2026, a runtime of 109 minutes, and Nia DaCosta as the director. Alex Garland contributed to the writing, while Andrew Macdonald, Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and Peter Rice served as producers. The cast featured Alfie Williams and Jack O'Connell.