28 Years Later Is Getting Another Sequel 18 Years Later

As a die-hard fan of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s post-apocalyptic masterpieces, I am absolutely thrilled to pieces about the upcoming release of “28 Years Later” in 2025! Ever since the whispers of a third film began circulating as early as 2015, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this day like a survivor waiting for the sunrise after a long, zombie-filled night.

In a few years’ time, but get ready! Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are joining forces once more for the 2025 release of “28 Years Later” with Sony Pictures, following their 2007 sequel to the post-apocalyptic horror film “28 Weeks Later”. The long-standing rumors of a third movie have finally come to fruition this year, as Boyle and Garland started pitching their new project to potential buyers in January 2024. It seems they weren’t just planning one film, though – they were pitching an entire trilogy! Here’s the latest on the upcoming first installment: what we see in the trailer (is it our beloved bike messenger Cillian Murphy?), who will be part of the cast, and when we can expect its release.

What’s happening in the trailer?

As a passionate cinephile, I found myself captivated by the chilling recital of Rudyard Kipling’s “Boots” as the two-minute trailer unfolded, leaving me intrigued yet guessing about the narrative. The world appears to grapple with an ongoing zombie crisis, a fact hinted through scared children, Aaron Taylor-Johnson armed with a bow and arrow, masked individuals causing discomfort, an ominous mound of skulls, and a sickly figure strikingly similar to Cillian Johnson. However, the details of the story remain tantalizingly obscure at first glance.

Fortunately, an official summary provides us with valuable background information for the footage. Despite a relentlessly enforced quarantine, some individuals have managed to coexist “amongst the infected,” almost three decades following the release of the “rage virus.” The synopsis reveals that one particular group of survivors reside on a small island linked to the mainland by a solitary, heavily guarded causeway. Intriguingly, when one member of this group ventures off the island on a mission into the heart of the mainland, he uncovers mysteries, marvels, and terrors that have transformed not only the infected but other survivors as well.

What’s happened in the franchise so far?

In the first film, I find myself cast alongside Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy. The plot unfolds as he stirs from a coma into a world gripped by a lethal, infectious disease that transforms humans into the undead. Released in 2007, 28 Weeks Later serves as a separate tale, following various survivors including Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, and Catherine McCormack, all of us navigating through the aftermath of this initial outbreak.

Which character actors are in the cast this time?

It was announced in April that Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train”), and Ralph Fiennes (“The Menu”) will join forces to battle against the undead in their upcoming project. Later on, it was confirmed that child actor Alfie Williams and Jack O’Connell, a talented actor from Derbyshire, would also be part of this British cast.

Wait, what about Cillian Murphy?

To date, Cillian Murphy hasn’t been officially announced as a cast member for the promotional materials of “28 Years Later”. However, Sony’s Tom Rothman mentioned in an interview with Deadline that Murphy will be back in the “28” universe. He hinted that this return would be unusual and stated that it grows the plot in an unexpected way. It seems like Murphy might appear as a zombie or in some other unconventional role. Despite Rothman saying that “28 Years Later” isn’t a literal sequel, it appears that Cillian Murphy is indeed returning to the series.

And 28 Years Later is a trilogy?

Indeed, it seems that Ralph Fiennes shared with IndieWire back in October 2024 that the initial installments had already been filmed. Interestingly, insiders claim that the movie titled 28 Years Later was shot concurrently with its sequel, tentatively named 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple. Although our previous suggestion, 28 Years Later 2: Uhhhh…29 Years Later?, still amuses us, the working titles are apparently different. According to recent reports, Danny Boyle will direct the first movie, while Nia DaCosta, famously known for her work on Candyman , is set to helm the second.

When is 28 Years Later coming out?

22 or 23 years from now, on June 20, 2025, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the day. If you ask around, people will tell you it’s nearly a quarter-century since “28 Days Later” premiered (in the U.K. in November 2002 and the U.S. in June 2003). Can you imagine how fitting the title would be then?

2024-12-11 11:54