January usually feels like the month where movies go to die. We’re all familiar with the "January dumping ground" trope, but 2026 is proving to be a weirdly resilient year for the multiplex. The movie box office results for this weekend show a massive shift in power that many analysts saw coming, yet the actual numbers tell a story of a market that's still obsessed with nostalgia and gritty genre fare.
After nearly a month of blue aliens dominating every conversation and every IMAX screen, the reign of James Cameron has finally hit a speed bump.
The Bone Temple Shakes the Foundation
Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the big story here. It’s been a long road for this franchise, and honestly, seeing it actually land at the top of the charts feels like a win for mid-budget horror fans. Directed by Nia DaCosta, the sequel managed to pull in an estimated $23.5 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday frame.
It isn't a record-shattering debut, especially when you compare it to the $30 million opening of its predecessor last year. Some are already calling it a sign of "diminishing returns," given the reported $63 million budget. But you've got to look at the context. It’s mid-January. People are broke from the holidays and the weather in half the country is miserable.
The film earned $2.1 million from Thursday previews alone. While that's lower than the Juneteenth-boosted previews of the previous entry, the 93% Rotten Tomatoes score suggests this thing has legs.
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Avatar 3 and the Slow Slide from the Throne
For 27 days, Avatar: Fire and Ash was the untouchable king. It’s still a juggernaut, don't get me wrong. This weekend, it slipped to second place, adding roughly $17.8 million to its domestic total.
Basically, Cameron’s epic is sitting at a comfortable $368 million in North America and a staggering $1.26 billion globally. Even in its fifth weekend, it only dropped about 17% from its previous three-day performance. Most movies would kill for that kind of "decline."
It’s just that the Sully family finally met a force they couldn't outpace: the sheer curiosity surrounding the return of Cillian Murphy to the 28 Days Later universe.
The Surprising Mid-Tier Survival
What’s actually more interesting than the top two spots is how the "older" films are holding up. Usually, by mid-January, the Christmas blockbusters are ghost towns. Not this year.
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- Zootopia 2: Disney's animated powerhouse is refusing to leave. It pulled in $11.2 million this weekend, which is actually a 12% increase over its previous three-day haul. Families are clearly using the MLK holiday to catch up on what they missed. It’s now sitting near $400 million domestic.
- The Housemaid: Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried are officially a box office draw. This Lionsgate thriller grabbed $10.2 million, crossing the $100 million domestic milestone. For a R-rated drama in January, that is massive.
- Marty Supreme: A24 is celebrating a Golden Globe win for this one, and it shows. It’s holding steady with $6.1 million, outperforming the more "mainstream" creature feature Primate.
Why The Lord of the Rings is Back
Wait, why are Hobbits in the top five?
Fathom Events decided to put the Lord of the Rings trilogy back in theaters this weekend. It was a calculated move ahead of the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring. Even with limited screenings, the trilogy managed a combined $7.5 million.
People will literally never get tired of watching Aragorn charge a gate in 4K. It’s a reminder that "event cinema" doesn't always have to be new; it just has to be something people love enough to leave their couches for.
The Rough Side of January
It hasn't been all sunshine and record holds. Greenland 2: Migration is struggling. Hard.
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Despite Gerard Butler usually being the king of the January action flick, the sequel only managed around $4 million this weekend, a 52% drop. Reviews were "mixed" to put it politely, and it seems the audience that loved the first one during the pandemic has moved on to other things.
Same goes for Primate. After a decent start, it fell 48% to $5.8 million. It turns out a chimpanzee slasher can only take you so far when you're competing against a prestige horror sequel like The Bone Temple.
What This Means for Your Next Trip to the Movies
If you're looking at these movie box office results for this weekend and wondering what to actually go see, the data points to a few clear trends.
First, the "prestige" titles like Marty Supreme and The Housemaid are the ones benefiting from word-of-mouth. If you want a crowded, high-energy theater, those are your best bets.
Second, if you're planning to see 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, do it soon. While the reviews are great, horror movies tend to be front-loaded. The "Bone Temple" might not stay at the top for long with Amazon MGM’s Mercy lurking just around the corner next week.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check Local Listings for LOTR: Many of the Lord of the Rings screenings are one-day-only events (Friday for Fellowship, Saturday for Two Towers, Sunday for Return of the King).
- Wait for the Tuesday Dip: If you want to see Avatar 3 or Zootopia 2 without the holiday crowds, Tuesday remains the best value day for tickets.
- Track the VOD Window: For struggling films like Greenland 2, expect a digital release much sooner than the 45-day window. If you're on the fence, you can probably watch it from home by mid-February.