A third 28 Years Later film starring Cillian Murphy has been announced days after the second instalment received glowing first reactions.
When a sequel to the 2002 post-apocalyptic horror 28 Days Later was first announced in 2024, it was confirmed to be part of a planned trilogy.
However, Sony committed to making just two films, including the forthcoming sequel The Bone Temple, to see how they fared at the box office before greenlighting the concluding chapter.
A decision appears to have now been made a month before the release of The Bone Temple due to positive first reactions from critics at early screenings. According to Deadline, Alex Garland has been tapped once again to write the script.
The Bone Temple, which directly follows on from the shocking end of the first instalment, was directed by Nia DaCosta. She stepped in to replace filmmaker Danny Boyle who oversaw both 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later.
Boyle has expressed hopes that he will direct the third instalment. Murphy’s return as original character Jim was confirmed by the filmmaker earlier this year when he told IGN: “I shouldn’t give away too much – I’ll get killed.”
Ahead of 28 Years Later’s release in June, he said the third film was yet to be handed a budget.
“We haven’t got the money for the third one yet. It will depend how the first one does, I guess. But hopefully, if we do OK, they’ll give us the go-ahead for the money and for the third one,” he said. “Everybody’s standing by for that, really, including Cillian.”
28 Years Later was a box office hit, grossing $151.3m from a budget of $60m. The film stars Alfie Williams as Spike, a 12-year-old kept safe from the virus while living on a small island connected to the mainland by a heavily defended causeway.
It begins on the day Spike is taken on a mission to the mainland for the very first time with his dad, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell also play a key role in the films.
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Back when Boyle first told Inverse about a planned 28 Days Later follow-up in July 2023, Murphy told The Independent: “That’s great to hear. I didn’t know that – I would be there in a flash. I made two movies with both of those guys, and I would love to work with them again. Of course, I’m there.”
