(Image: Sony Pictures, Disney)
The new installment in the "28" franchise, "28 Years Later," stormed into theaters worldwide last week, living up to Sony Pictures' expectations with a massive opening. Arriving 18 years after the last film, the sequel immediately raked in over $60 million globally in its first weekend, matching its production budget of around $60 million. The box office was split evenly, with a $30 million haul from the domestic market and another $30 million from overseas territories. This performance not only shatters the opening records of the first two films but has already surpassed the entire $28.63 million North American gross of its predecessor, "28 Weeks Later."
(Image: Sony Pictures)
Over at Disney, however, the news was far less celebratory. Pixar Animation Studios' latest feature, "Elio," managed only $35 million worldwide in its opening weekend, with $14 million from international markets and $21 million from North America. The domestic figure marks the lowest North American opening in Pixar's history. Some industry analysts suggest that with summer vacation yet to begin in several key countries, the film's target audience of children and students may not have had the chance to see it. This could mean a potential uptick in its box office run as more families head to the theaters.
For comparison, Pixar's "Elemental" also had a soft domestic opening of just $29.6 million but eventually legged out to an impressive $496 million worldwide thanks to strong word-of-mouth. "Elio" is also receiving positive reviews, so its ultimate fate will depend on whether audiences embrace it in the coming weeks. However, other outlets argue that the film's lackluster performance was predictable, attributing it to a weak marketing campaign that failed to generate significant market buzz.