As 28 Years Later and Elio near release, Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake continues to lead the box office in its second week. Strong word of mouth and premium formats support its momentum. The film is on track to surpass the original trilogy’s openings and maintain its lead over new releases.
28 Years Later and Elio box office opening predictions revealed
Sony releases 28 Years Later, directed by Danny Boyle, with a projected $28M–$30M domestic opening and $56M worldwide (via Deadline).
The film rolls out in most international markets, excluding China, which is awaiting approval. The UK and major European territories will drive the $28M overseas debut. U.S. previews start Thursday at noon across 2,800 locations and expand to 3,300 by Friday. 28 Years Later shares Premium Large Format screens with Elio and How to Train Your Dragon.
Advance ticket sales for 28 Years Later are higher than Longlegs ($22.4M), Civil War ($25.5M), and Evil Dead Rise ($24.5M). However, they fall short of fan expectations for a $50M+ domestic opening.
The film continues the 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later series and follows a father and son navigating a post-apocalyptic mainland. It stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes.
Pixar’s Elio is tracking for a $20M+ domestic debut and $50M global start. Comparable openings include Migration ($27M), The Wild Robot ($33M), and Elemental ($35M). Elio opens in China on June 27, Spain on July 9, and Japan on August 1.
U.S./Canada advance sales total around $1M, just ahead of Elemental ($29.6M opening). Elio opens in 3,750 North American theaters, including 725 PLF screens and over 2,500 3D screens. It cost $150M to produce before marketing. The film’s international rollout covers 80% of global markets and targets a $30M overseas opening. Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina, Elio follows a boy mistaken for Earth’s ambassador to alien civilizations.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon is expected to top the box office for a second weekend with over $40M. It opened to $84.6M domestically and added $8.5M on Monday, June 16. It continues to lead new releases and contributes to an estimated $90M domestic total across the three major titles.
