28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is already headed to Netflix on March 31st, which is only 74 days after its theatrical release.
That’s another fast move for the sequel following its weak box office run. The film also first hit VOD after only 32 days in theaters, which was already a strong sign Sony wanted to move on quickly from the theatrical window.
Compared to the first movie, the turnaround is even more telling.
Much Faster Than The First Movie
The first 28 Years Later from last summer took around 92 days before it landed on Netflix.
The Bone Temple hitting the streamer in 74 days means the sequel is getting there nearly three weeks sooner.
That lines up with how poorly the movie performed in theaters.
Bone Temple opened to only $12.5 million and has made just $57 million worldwide, including only $25 million domestically. The first film made more than $151 million worldwide and over $70 million domestically, which also wasn’t that good considering its large budget.
The audience clearly didn’t show up for round two.
Early VOD And Streaming Point To Underperformance
The Bone Temple didn’t just arrive on Netflix quickly. It also went to VOD after only 32 days.
That fits with what Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently said while discussing underperforming movies and shortened release windows. Sarandos said films that struggle at the box office tend to get pushed to digital early, pointing to Superman hitting VOD in 35 days as an example. The usual VOD window is closer to 45 days.
So when Bone Temple hit VOD in only 32 days and is now coming to Netflix in 74, it paints a pretty clear picture.
The movie underperformed, and Sony is wasting no time getting it onto streaming.
What About The Third Movie?
The quick Netflix release also raises more questions about the future of the franchise.
There is still doubt about whether the third movie will actually get made. Cillian Murphy has reportedly been in talks for the next film, but nothing official has been announced. Murphy also recently gave a less-than-confident update when asked about it happening, simply saying, “hope so.”
That doesn’t exactly sound like a project that is locked in and ready to go. Rumors also offer it may go straight to Netflix.
With Bone Temple collapsing at the box office, hitting VOD in just 32 days, and now landing on Netflix after only 74 days, the future of a third movie looks anything but certain.
