28 Years Later's Story Risks Being Left Unfinished After The Bone Temple

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the latest installment in the 28 Days Later saga, which began with Danny Boyle's low-budget 2002 masterpiece. 28 Days Later changed the zombie genre forever by popularizing the concept of fast-moving zombies. After the lackluster sequel, the movies were largely forgotten until 28 Years Later revived the franchise, bringing back the terror with an unexpected twist.

28 Years Later looked set to open up the world with the introduction of the sinister "Jimmies," visually based on real-life monster Jimmy Savile. This continued an ending trend set by the first movie, in which a new part of the story is introduced at the last minute. However, while 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple repeated this strategy, the story might end here.

The Bone Temple Ends On A Cliffhanger

The ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple not only reveals that the rage virus can be cured, but it also brings back Jim, who has not been seen since the first movie. The final scene cuts to Jim and his daughter, who rush from their remote home to help Spike and Kelli as they run from a group of Infected.

By bringing Spike and Jim's stories together, The Bone Temple's cliffhanger ending introduces new questions while opening up the world of the 28 Days Later franchise. Sam is presumably Selena's daughter, too, but she and Hannah are nowhere to be seen. Their fates would have to be explained in the next movie, if the story is to continue.

The Bone Temple's Box Office Puts The Franchise's Future At Risk

The Bone Temple looked set to be a major box-office success, even challenging James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash. However, the success has not lasted, and The Bone Temple has unfortunately dropped 71% from its opening weekend. The Numbers records the movie making $46.7 million against its £63 million budget, which is a disappointing result, considering its positive reviews and high Rotten Tomatoes score.

With a 93% critic rating and an 88% positive audience score, The Bone Temple has the highest Rotten Tomatoes ratings of any movie in the 28 Days Later franchise. The movie could still become a streaming success, but if it continues to perform badly, the franchise's future is at risk. Many movie franchises have been ended by box-office flops, and this saga deserves more.

28 Days Later Deserves A Proper Ending

Both 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple brought new life to the franchise by taking risks. The new and eccentric characters, like Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), are both sinister and compelling, and they stand out in a sea of zombie movie tropes. This shows that there is still room for creativity in the zombie movie genre.

The Bone Temple introduced questions that need answering, and the shocking reintroduction of Jim shows that there is a story yet to be told. Some movies that have been box-office flops have been redeemed by streaming or found a new and appreciative audience years later. The 28 Days Later franchise deserves this chance to be found, and its story to be continued.

Source: The Numbers