Theater counts: The Bone Temple stands tall as the widest release for a second straight weekend

January 22, 2026

It was a surprise victory for Avatar: Fire and Ash at last weekend’s box office, picking up $14.49 million in its fifth weekend and soaring past $364 million in its first full month on the big screen. Newcomer 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple fell short of expectations, earning $12.52 million during its opening frame. Now the question looms: can the reigning champ stay on top, or will newcomer Mercy finally knock it from the throne?

Set in 2029 Los Angeles, Mercy follows a detective on trial accused of killing his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced AI judge he once championed, before it determines his fate. Chris Pratt plays LAPD Detective Chris Raven, while Rebecca Ferguson plays the AI Judge Maddox. The film, which is being released by Amazon MGM Studios, will begin its North American run in 3,468 theaters.

Opening in 1,850 locations, the psychological horror film Return to Silent Hill follows a man drawn back to the eerie town after receiving a mysterious letter from his long-lost love. Once familiar, Silent Hill is now consumed by darkness. As he searches for her, James confronts monstrous creatures and uncovers a terrifying truth that pushes him to the edge of sanity. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and is directed by Christophe Gans.

Expanding from 28 locations last weekend to 500 this weekend is the musical drama, The Testament of Ann Lee. The film starring Amanda Seyfried opened on Christmas Day and has earned just short of $900,000 from playing in just four cinemas in its first three weeks, then increasing to 28 theaters last weekend.

Launching in 522 movie houses this weekend is Clika. The movie follows an aspiring small-town musician who is determined to make it big. When a clip of him performing one of his songs goes viral, he seizes the opportunity and pushes to carve out a place for himself in the new wave of Mexican-American music… and ultimately gets caught in a game more dangerous than anticipated.

Rounding out the top five widest releases this weekend is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, holding firm with its opening footprint of 3,506 theaters. Box office leader Avatar: Fire and Ash sheds 150 locations this weekend, but remains widely available in 3,150 venues. The Housemaid comes in with this weekend with 3,007 theaters, while the $1.7 billion global juggernaut Zootopia 2 continues to make noise in 2,930 theaters.

Looking ahead to next weekend, we see four wide releases make their cinematic start. These include Iron Lung, Shelter, Melania, and Send Help. The latter is projected to debut in approximately 3,300 theaters.

Filed under: Theater Counts