'28 Years Later III' is officially happening, and Cillian Murphy may play a key role in trilogy's finale
It seems like the zombie wastelands of '28 Days Later' are here to stay. They didn't completely leave in the first place, with the cult Danny Boyle film getting a Fox Atomic sequel, '28 Weeks Later', in 2007. This year, the intellectual property was infused with new life as Boyle and series screenwriter Alex Garland teamed up for '28 Years Later'. Now, the second film in the '28 Years' trilogy, and the fourth instalment in the '28 Days Later' film series, '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple', is earning rave reviews throughout early screenings, way ahead of its scheduled release date of January 16, 2026.
Deadline reports that a third film in the trilogy is also in development, with the OG film's star and Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy in talks to reprise his character of Jim. The 'Oppenheimer' actor also serves as an executive producer on both '28 Years Later' and '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. Murphy will also be seen in the second feature in a brief role. Although the series was initially produced and distributed by Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Fox, Sony has come to own the rights after emerging victorious in a bidding war.
Although Sony initially greenlit the first two movies in the zombie-thriller trilogy, Variety has revealed that it waited until the reviews from the second movie's test screenings were in before giving its approval for the third film. The first two films were filmed and completed in quick succession, with Boyle helming the first and Nia DaCosta of 'Candyman' fame directing 'The Bone Temple'. Elsewhere, Boyle has expressed his willingness to direct the third movie in the trilogy, but an official confirmation in this regard is yet to arrive.
When '28 Years Later' premiered earlier this year in June, it was met with a generally positive response, earning $30 million on the opening day, which also happened to be a top sum given that several other horror movies made their marks this year, including 'Sinners' and 'Final Destination: Bloodlines'. The film eventually ended its box office run with a gross domestic collection of $70.4 million and $151.3 million in international sales. The test screenings of 'The Bone Temple' have similarly been creating waves in Hollywood, as one such screening was recently held at the Century City Westfield mall located at the AMC Century City multiplex. The film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Jack O'Connell, and Ralph Fiennes in pivotal roles, alongside new additions to the cast, Chi Lewis-Parry and Erin Kellyman.
Boyle was approached by The Hollywood Reporter in an interview earlier this year, in January. When asked about his opinion of DaCosta's storytelling in the second film, the Academy Award-winning director noted, "I remember her saying, 'I'm not going to make a Danny Boyle movie.' She was absolutely clear about that. And she hasn't. She's made her own movie, and it’s very strong."
