Over two decades since its debut, the cult classic “28 Days Later” is poised for a sequel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, the creative forces behind the original film, are joining forces once again for “28 Years Later.” The film will hit studios, streamers, and other potential buyers later this week. Both Boyle and Garland will take out the package and handle the sale. This highly anticipated sequel not only revives the iconic franchise but also holds the potential to kickstart a trilogy if it garners success.
Regarded as one of the greatest zombie films of all time, this update is very promising for the sequel. 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland, and actor Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Oppenheimer) offered a promising update in a recent interview with both Inverse and Collider.
In a recent interview with Inverse, Garland said “I resisted it for a long time because there were things about 28 Weeks that bugged me. I just thought, ‘F–k that.’ I’d rather try to write a different story in a different world. But a few years ago an idea materialized in my head for what would be really 28 Years Later. Danny always liked the idea.”
Danny Boyle later said “So we’re talking about it quite seriously, quite diligently. If he doesn’t want to direct it himself I’ll be well up for it, if we can execute a similarly good idea.
Then in a recent interview with Collider, Murphy said “I was talking to Danny Boyle recently, and I said, ‘Danny, we shot the movie at the end of 2000.’ So I think we’re definitely approaching the 28 Years Later. But like I’ve always said, I’m up for it. I’d love to do it. If Alex [Garland] thinks there’s a script in it and Danny wants to do it, I’d love to do it.”
28 Days Later was released in 2002 and follows the story of Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up in a coma only to find that the city he is in is deserted. He later comes to find out that a mysterious aggression-inducing virus has swept through the United Kingdom and has turned everyone into flesh-eating zombies. The first film was a financial success, making $84.6M on an $8M Budget. It has been regarded as one of the best zombie films in the genre and the success ended up spawning a sequel called 28 Weeks Later.
28 Weeks Later was released in 2007, but it did not bring back Boyle to direct, Garland to write, and Murphy did not return. The film was not as successful as the first one and only brought in $65.8M on a $15M budget. Still regarded as a decent sequel to fans, it never did catch the greatness of the first film. This ultimately put a third movie on halt and had many failed attempts.
This is very promising news and a big jump on moving forward with this sequel. Are you excited that this film is closer to happening and that it will follow the story of the first film? Do you prefer the title 28 Months Later or 28 Years Later? Let us know in the comments below. Also, check out the trailers for the first 2 films below.