The critical response to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was euphoric; audience scores were glowing, yet when the numbers rolled in, they told a very different story. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta opened up about the surprising box office stumble of a film she remains fiercely proud of.

Nia DaCosta reacts to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’s box office

When filmmaker Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland resurrected the rage virus, their vision was bigger than a single movie. The plan was an ambitious trilogy, with Boyle directing 28 Years Later and DaCosta stepping in to direct the second one, The Bone Temple, shot back-to-back. The first film roared into cinemas with critical adoration and a hefty $151 million worldwide haul. Then January came, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple box office tally stopped at $58 million globally. It’s roughly a third of its predecessor’s performance.

Nia DaCosta expressed genuine confusion over the disconnect between reception and revenue. “It’s so funny, because literally every barometer we use in the industry to determine whether or not a movie is good, and people like it and want to see it, was through the roof, and yet our box office wasn’t there,” she told Empire. “I made a great film, and I’m really proud of it, and people liked it,” the filmmaker added.

Puzzling over what went wrong, DaCosta floated one plausible theory about the rapid release strategy. With only months separating the two films, audiences may have simply felt the 28 Years Later sequel came before anticipation could rebuild. She recalled telling people about the follow-up, only to hear, “Oh yeah, I saw that last summer!” Her reply was a necessary correction, “No, no, so there’s a sequel!”

Despite the disappointing figures, DaCosta leans on a perspective that predates Hollywood’s mathematical scorekeeping. “I was disappointed. But I also was like, ‘I’m so happy that when people find the film, they’re going to enjoy the film.’ I wish it made more money, but I’m really proud of it,” she concluded.