The June 20 box office weekend looks like another blockbuster double-header with the releases of Disney/Pixar’s animated family film “Elio” and Sony’s R-rated post-apocalyptic sequel “28 Years Later.” Danny Boyle’s follow-up to his groundbreaking 2002 zombie classic “28 Days Later” has some of the best 2025 reviews for a franchise movie. (IndieWire’s review is here.)
Even if, as “Screen Talk” co-hosts Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson discuss on this week’s IndieWire podcast episode, Ryan found it ultimately cloying and sentimental despite the imaginative filmmaking. Boyle (working from original “28 Days Later” scribe Alex Garland’s script) shot the film entirely on the iPhone 15 Pro Max using rig technology, with the film introducing a “poor man’s bullet time” (as Boyle described to IndieWire) for some of the grisliest kills of those infected by the “Rage” virus.
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“28 Years Later” introduces new characters played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and young newcomer Alfie Williams as members of a society eking out survival amid the virus’ containment in Great Britain. The film is tracking to gross $28 million over the weekend but stands to exceed that figure. The new film was shot back-to-back with the sequel “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” with a third film set to star Cillian Murphy still awaiting the official green light.
Also opening this week is the Pixar space adventure “Elio.” An original is always a challenge, and this one could open soft and build, the way both “Elemental” ($484 million worldwide) and “Encanto” did ($230 million). It’s a delightful look at a young space nut who desperately wanted aliens to find him and welcome him, and then they do! In terms of the 2025 animation slate, though, Anne preferred the less expensive Cannes offering “Arco,” which is set in the future and was picked up by Neon.
The summer box office is looking up again after disappointing outings like “John Wick” franchise entry “Ballerina” and “Karate Kid: Legends.” The live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” has grossed more than $227 million worldwide since opening June 13. In terms of story and scope, it’s very close to the 2010 animated original, and singularly, it’s directed by animator Dean DeBlois, who directed the animated trilogy, all nominated for Best Animated Feature.
On this week’s “Screen Talk,” Anne and Ryan also look down the pike at what could play at the fall festivals, with “Bugonia” (Yorgos Lanthimos), “Hamnet” (Chloé Zhao), and “After the Hunt” (Luca Guadagnino) expected to play the Venice-to-Telluride circuit. We know Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother” will play Venice. Cannes winners like “Sirât” (Oliver Laxe) and “Sentimental Value” (Joachim Trier) will almost certainly make a splash at Telluride.
The Venice lineup will be revealed the last week of July, and, per usual, we won’t have the Telluride list until Labor Day weekend.
Listen to the episode below.
