James Cameron's long-reigning box office champion, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," has finally encountered a formidable challenger in "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." This direct sequel to last year's "28 Years Later" finds itself in a tight domestic box office race, vying for the top spot during the MLK holiday weekend.

Directed by Nia DaCosta, with Alex Garland returning as writer, "The Bone Temple" follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, which was helmed by Danny Boyle. Despite generating over $2 million in Thursday previews, the film's full opening day saw just under $6 million at the domestic box office, falling significantly below expectations. Projections suggest it will gross around $15 million in its first four days, placing it just behind "Avatar 3," which is expected to earn approximately $17 million in its fifth weekend. The movie, like "28 Years Later," had a production budget of over $60 million, with the previous installment making $150 million globally.

Critically, "The Bone Temple" has exceeded its predecessor, which garnered an 89% "certified fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes. The new film boasts an impressive 94% critics' score and a "verified hot" audience score on the aggregator. The critical consensus praises it as "A direct continuation of 28 Years Later that ups the gore while deepening the dread, The Bone Temple is finely adorned by Nia DaCosta's unnerving direction as well as Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell's inspired performances."

The narrative of "The Bone Temple" continues the apocalyptic saga, further exploring the aftermath of a global viral outbreak first introduced in "28 Days Later." The film picks up after the events of "28 Years Later," which concluded with the reveal of a menacing cult led by Jack O'Connell's character, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal. Ralph Fiennes returns as the enigmatic Dr. Kelson, and Alfie Williams reprises his role as the protagonist from the previous film.

A key and deliberately unsettling element of DaCosta's vision for "The Bone Temple" revolves around Jack O'Connell's Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, a sadistic, devil-worshipping cult leader of a gang known as The Jimmies. Their distinctive appearance—colorful tracksuits and long, white-haired wigs—is directly inspired by the U.K.'s notorious figure, Jimmy Savile. Savile, a celebrated BBC radio and children's TV star knighted for charity, was posthumously exposed as a prolific sex offender. DaCosta acknowledges that this reference might be lost on U.S. audiences, as Savile was not a well-known figure stateside. However, for DaCosta, The Jimmies represent the "intentional perversion" of societal themes, including dogma, religion, childhood memories, and media. The film's alternative reality depicts a young Jimmy Crystal consuming children's TV before the Rage virus destroys his life, predating the public revelations of Savile's crimes by a decade. In this context, Crystal views Savile as someone to emulate, embodying "unchecked power."

Fans will be thrilled by the return of Cillian Murphy, reprising his role as Jim, the bicycle courier from the original "28 Days Later." Murphy's appearance is reserved for the very end of "The Bone Temple" in a distinctly quiet scene, a deliberate choice by director Nia DaCosta to avoid a "superhero" moment. Jim is shown living in isolated safety, possibly in the same remote cottage from "28 Days Later," a quarter-century on, with a daughter whom he is seen helping with a history exam. This grounded reintroduction was central to Alex Garland's script and DaCosta's direction. Murphy's voice is also subtly integrated into the film much earlier, heard saying "Hello" during the title sequence, a soundbite from the first film. The movie also pays homage to its origins with the use of John Murphy's eerie track "In a Heartbeat" from "28 Days Later" during Jim's return.

The current trilogy is set to conclude with a third film, with Alex Garland writing and Danny Boyle returning to direct. There's also potential for Cillian Murphy to continue his involvement, potentially reprising his character from the original "28 Days Later." Sony Pictures has already greenlit the follow-up, ensuring the continuation of this acclaimed zombie franchise.