Sequel to Danny Boyle, Alex Garland

We’re still a few years early, but here we go. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reunite for release 28 years later with Sony Pictures in 2025. This follows the 2007 release 28 weeks laterher Sequel to their post-apocalyptic horror film 28 days later. Rumors of a third film began circulating in 2015; But we finally got a few zombie steps closer this year. Accordingly The Hollywood ReporterBoyle and Garland began selling their new project to potential buyers in January 2024… except apparently it wasn’t just a movie. They were reportedly introducing a whole trilogy of new films. Here’s the latest on what we know about the upcoming first installment, including what happens in the trailer (is that our favorite bike courier Cillian Murphy?), who’s in the cast and when the release date is.

The two-minute trailer is based on a creepy recitation of Rudyard Kipling’s war poem “Boots” and is fairly conservative about the plot. Clearly the world is still dealing with a zombie problem. We see frightened children, Aaron Taylor-Johnson with a bow and arrow, people wearing disturbing masks, a huge pile of skulls and a sickly figure who looks suspiciously like Cillian Johnson. But otherwise it’s not immediately clear what exactly is going on.

Luckily, an official synopsis gives us some helpful context for the footage. Despite a “ruthlessly enforced” quarantine, some people have found ways to survive “among the infected” nearly three decades after the “rage virus” outbreak. “One of these survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway,” the summary says. “When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders and horrors that have mutated not only the infected, but other survivors as well.”

The first film stars Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, who awakens from a coma suffering from a contagious, deadly disease that turns people into zombies. 2007s 28 weeks later Set after the initial outbreak, it is a standalone film about various survivors (Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau and Catherine McCormack).

deadline reported on it in April Jodie Comer (Kill Eve), Aaron Taylor Johnson (High speed train) and Ralph Fiennes (The menu) would be our newest group of Brits fighting the undead. Child star Alfie Williams and Derbeian actor Jack O’Connell were later confirmed as cast members.

Cillian Murphy has not yet been officially listed as a cast member 28 years later Promotional materials. However, in a May interview with Deadline, Sony’s Tom Rothman said that Murphy would return to the 28-iverse. But in a new, crazy way. When asked if Murphy would appear 28 years later, He replied, “Yes, but in surprising and growing ways, let me put it that way.” So he’s a zombie? Sounds like he’s appearing as a zombie. “I think I’ve done eight films with Danny Boyle and I keep him in the pantheon and we have his new one 28 days trilogy,” Rothman said. “It is 28 years laterbut in no way a literal sequel.” Except that Cillian Murphy is literally returning, right?

Yes indeed. In fact, Ralph Fiennes told IndieWire in October 2024 that the first two parts had already been filmed. 28 years later The film was reportedly shot back-to-back with the sequel, which a copyright filing says could be called 28 years later Part II: The Bone Temple. (We still like our previous suggestion: 28 years later 2: Uhhhh…29 years later?but whatever). Deadline reported that Boyle will direct the first film Candyman The second film will be directed by director Nia DaCosta.

Counting down the days until the release date of June 20, 2025. Depending on who you ask, that’s somewhere between 22 and 23 years 28 days later was published (November 2002 in the UK, June 2003 in the USA). Just a few more years and the title would have been received really differently, right?