Is ‘28 Years Later 3’ moving forward? Director explains delay as Cillian Murphy reacts to returning
Fans of the ‘28 Days Later’ franchise may have hit a bump in the road with the recent performance of ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’, but Danny Boyle is making it clear that the story is far from over. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has offered a new update on the planned third chapter of the ‘28 Years Later’ saga. Even though the second film in the new trilogy failed to generate the kind of box-office momentum many had hoped for, Boyle appears eager to move ahead with the final installment rather than put the brakes on the project. The director recently sat down with JoBlo Editor-in-Chief Chris Bumbray during a conversation celebrating the 30th anniversary of ‘Trainspotting’.
While discussing several projects from his career, Boyle addressed the future of the zombie horror franchise and explained why cameras have not yet started rolling on the third movie. According to Boyle, the delay has little to do with audience response and much more to do with practical limitations. The filmmaker revealed, “We ran out of time. Because it’s set in an area of Britain [where] you can only film at certain times of the year. We ran out of time this year – we literally ran out of time… So it’ll be, hopefully, fingers crossed, next year. But there’s the enthusiasm there, and Alex (Garland) has done a wonderful script for it.” That update will likely come as welcome news to fans who feared the franchise’s future might be uncertain after ‘The Bone Temple’ failed to become the breakout hit Sony may have wanted.
With just $58 million at the global box office against a $63 million production budget, the sequel earned a little over a third of ‘28 Years Later’s $151 million haul. In December 2025, Deadline already reported that Sony was officially moving ahead with ‘28 Years Later III’. The report also stated that Garland would return to write the screenplay. Meanwhile, Boyle has never hidden his desire to direct the final chapter himself, and recent comments suggest that plan remains intact. While details about the story remain tightly guarded, one question continues to dominate fan discussions: Will Cillian Murphy return? Rumors have circulated for quite some time that the concluding chapter could feature Murphy in a larger role.
However, no official plot details have been released, leaving fans to piece together clues from interviews and industry reports. Murphy himself recently addressed the possibility. While speaking with The Times, the actor was asked about returning to the franchise. His response was short, but it was enough to get longtime followers excited. “Hope so! I’m ready anyway,” Murphy said. Of course, until production officially begins, there are still plenty of unknowns. For now, supporters of the franchise can take comfort in knowing that the story is still heading toward its intended ending. And if Murphy ultimately joins them for the ride, the finale could become the homecoming many fans have wanted for years.
