’28 Years Later’: Danny Boyle and Alex Garland Reunite for Iconic Zombie Sequel

By Shubhendu Vatsa - News

Published: 16 Jan 2024, Last Updated: 25 Apr 2024

Filmmakers Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are collaborating (once again) on a follow-up to their zombie genre game-changer 28 Days Later. Aptly titled 28 Years Later, which also comes over two decades after the release of the massively successful original film back in 2002, will be “set in a (presumably) ruined world that’s been ravaged by a strange virus responsible for turning people into rage-filled, fast-running zombie-like beings,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Boyle will direct this third film in the 28 Days franchise, with Garland writing the screenplay. The new film is reportedly expected to launch a new trilogy of films; however, details surrounding it remain scarce. THR further reports that the film “would be shopped around studios, streamers and other potential buyers later this week.”

What we do know is Garland and Boyle’s new trilogy of films is projected to cost around USD $75 million to produce — a notable uptick from the thrifty budgets of the previous films in the series. Currently, there’s no word on what other movies will be a part of this trilogy and whether it’ll all be in the same mainline universe.

As of writing, Boyle’s 28 Years Later has no production start date, cast, or distribution studio, and the plot is also being kept under wraps. The 2002 film ‘28 Days Later‘ achieved massive critical acclaim and unexpected box office success, starring Cillian Murphy as a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic UK ravaged by a virus that transforms its victims into rage-fueled monsters.

While it’s unclear whether Murphy will be back, the actor did reveal that he has had talks with both Boyle and Garland about a third film. Taking with NME, back in 2022, Murphy said that the three of them often discussed working on a follow-up.

“Every time I do bump into Danny or Alex I always mention it (the film),” said Murphy. “I showed it to my kids recently — some Halloween about four or five years ago — and they loved it. It really stands up, which is amazing for a film that’s 20 years old. So yeah, I love the idea and it’s very appealing to me. It feels like a very good time actually. It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about it until you just said it, and I remembered ‘Bang, this script!’ which is again set in England, very much about England.”