"28 Days Later" and "Elio" Premier with Promising Box Office Performance

Sony's zombie thriller, "28 Days Later," pulsed through Thursday previews with an impressive $5.8 million. On the other hand, Pixar's "Elio" debuted with a more modest sum of $3 million. The disparity in these results is explained by "Elio's" appeal to families who typically refrain from attending movie premieres on a weekday evening.

As the weekend approached, projections for "28 Days Later" suggested an opening between $28 million and $30 million, setting a new first-time viewing record for the undead series. "Elio," meanwhile, is estimated to garner between $25 million to $30 million in its maiden weekend.

Both films, however, are not predicted to top the box office. Instead, that distinction is expected to be bestowed upon Universal's live-action remake of "How to Train Your Dragon" in North America. After dominating the box office last weekend with an impressive $84.6 million, the film is anticipated to retain the top spot with a weekend earning of $40 million to $43 million, which would represent a roughly 50% decline. "How to Train Your Dragon" is proving to be a lucrative venture for the studio, raking in more than $200 million in its debut week.

"Elio" revolves around a pre-adolescent boy who befriends a group of quirky aliens after being misconstrued as Earth's extraterrestrial emissary. With production costs reaching $150 million - excluding millions spent on global marketing by Disney - the film's success is uncertain. While Pixar experienced a massive success with last year's "Inside Out 2", subsequent releases like "Lightyear" and "Elemental" have struggled at the box office. The performance of "Elio" in this context is yet to be seen.

"28 Years Later", continues the narrative of a group of survivors of a virus-induced, societal collapse. Despite having successfully quarantined themselves on an island, they return to the mainland to face a mutated threat that could eradicate the last remaining populace. The movie, which has been received well by critics, will initiate a new trilogy spearheaded by the creators of the original "28 Days Later," Danny Boyle, and Alex Garland. The sequel, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," is slated for a 2026 release and the fate of a proposed third film depends on the box office response to "28 Years Later".