‘28 Years Later’ and ‘Elio’ Debut with Solid Openings Amid Strong Hold for ‘How to Train Your Dragon’

Sony’s zombie-horror sequel *28 Years Later*, directed by Danny Boyle, is on track for a $28M–$30M opening weekend following a $14M Friday debut across 3,444 theaters. The film earned strong preview numbers ($5.8M) and is outperforming comparable genre entries like *Scream* (2022) and *Longlegs* (2024), though audience reception is mixed, with a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 54% ‘definite recommend’ on PostTrak. The movie’s primary audience was men over 25, who gave it the highest marks.

Disney/Pixar’s original animated feature *Elio* is set for a $22M–$24M debut after earning $9M on Friday, including previews. Audience reception is stronger for *Elio*, with a 60% definite recommend rate and 4.5 stars from general viewers. Critics gave it an 86% certified fresh rating. The movie is positioned similarly to *Elemental* (2023), which had modest initial earnings but long-term success.

Universal/DreamWorks’ *How to Train Your Dragon* live-action remake continues to dominate in its second weekend, projected at $35.2M, bringing its total to approximately $158.6M. Other notable performers include *Lilo & Stitch*, *Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning*, and A24’s *Materialists*, each contributing steady mid-week and weekend earnings. The box office was generally uplifted by the Juneteenth holiday, with most films experiencing a spike in attendance on Thursday.