The sequel to “28 Days Later,” titled “28 Years Later,” is scheduled to come out on June 20, 2025, as announced by Sony Pictures on Friday.
Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who originally collaborated on the 2002 zombie thriller, are returning for this sequel.
The original indie hit combined Boyle’s energetic visual style with Garland’s intelligent take on zombie lore. “28 Days Later” flipped the traditional zombie concept by introducing “infected” people filled with violent rage.
Boyle is set to direct the first film in the new “28 Days Later” trilogy, with Garland writing all three scripts. The budget for each movie is expected to be around $75 million, indicating larger-scale productions compared to the original’s modest $8 million cost.
Boyle and Garland will produce the series alongside Andrew Macdonald, a producer on the first two films. Former Fox Searchlight head Peter Rice is also joining the project, as Fox Searchlight backed the original indie hit and its sequel under Rice's leadership.
The 2002 original starred Cillian Murphy as a man waking from a coma to find a virus-ravaged London filled with infected humans who have turned into violent creatures. Naomie Harris co-starred as another survivor, with Christopher Eccleston playing a deranged military officer. Murphy will produce the sequel, but is not currently attached to the film as a star.
Boyle and Garland also produced the 2007 follow-up “28 Weeks Later.”
The new trilogy was announced in January.
Murphy was relatively unknown when the original movie came out. In March, he told Josh Horowitz of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that the role helped him land a part in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”
Murphy explained, “I know that they both deeply admire each other. Chris saw ’28 Days Later’ before he cast me in ‘Batman Begins.’ I know they admire each other’s work. They’re distinctive directors, and they bring the same passion and energy to the set.”
Murphy also mentioned that the idea for more films in the franchise had been in the works for some time.
