28 Years Later – Not One, But Three Movies

A saga we no longer expected, returning with plenty of surprises. After waiting not 28, but 22 years, here comes the sequel in three films!

After 28 days and 28 weeks later, we now find ourselves 28 years after the spread of a deadly virus that turned the population into flesh-eating creatures. Good news for longtime fans: Cillian Murphy (that you might also know from Oppenheimer or Peaky Blinders) will serve as the film’s exclusive producer and may also take on an as-yet-unknown role in the movie (the zombie in the trailer wasn’t him after all).

As for protagonists, other actors will step into the spotlight in this film, which will hit theaters in France on June 18, 2025, two days ahead of its release in England, Canada and the United States on June 20, 2025. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter, Kick-Ass), Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, The Last Duel), Alfie Williams (His Dark Materials), and Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Schindler’s List) will take on the leading roles.

For those interested in the official plot, here it is:

“It has been nearly thirty years since the Rage Virus escaped from a biological weapons lab. While a strict lockdown was enforced, some found a way to survive among the infected. A community of survivors has taken refuge on a small island connected to the mainland by a single road, heavily fortified. When one of the island’s inhabitants is sent on a mission to the mainland, they discover that not only have the infected mutated, but other survivors as well, in a setting both mysterious and terrifying…”

It’s worth noting that, in addition to this new film, Sony announced its sequel, The Bone Temple, still under the blessing of Danny Boyle, who will direct and co-write 28 Years Later with British screenwriter Alex Garland. This is at least reassuring, though there’s some anxiety about seeing such an iconic saga now being adapted into no less than three films produced by Sony, which will need to deliver.

The Bone Temple will also be written by Alex Garland but will be directed by Nia DaCosta, who has already delved into horror with the remake of the iconic Candyman. No casting details for The Bone Temple have been announced yet, but we already have a release date: January 16, 2026. As for the third film, no information has leaked so far.

For those unfamiliar with the saga, it begins with 28 Days Later, released in 2002. The film follows Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma after an accident. Upon waking, he discovers that a mysterious virus has caused the collapse of London—and perhaps all of England—turning its inhabitants not into slow, easy-to-kill zombies, but into fast, aggressive, flesh-hungry creatures.

The film also explores human nature, as the greatest antagonists of the story may not be who you expect. It’s a must-watch for fans of post-apocalyptic settings and zombie tales.

28 Weeks Later marks the beginning of the virus spreading across the European continent—and potentially the world—featuring a new cast taking over from Cillian Murphy. Among them is a now-familiar face to the general public: actor Jeremy Renner (aka Hawkeye in The Avengers).

A saga that, hopefully, will bring nostalgic fans back to fond memories while also being successful enough to introduce—or reintroduce—audiences to this uniquely British take on the zombie genre.