Sony Moves Forward with '28 Years Later' Trilogy, With Cillian Murphy in Talks to Return as Jim
A third installment of the zombie horror franchise "28 Years Later" is officially underway at Sony Pictures. The decision to proceed with the film comes after positive fan reactions to early screenings of the sequel, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." Series screenwriter Alex Garland has penned the script for the movie, and Cillian Murphy is set to reprise his role as protagonist Jim from the original "28 Days Later" and its predecessor.
The news marks a return to form for the franchise, which began in 2001 with Fox Searchlight's release of "28 Days Later." Directed by Danny Boyle, the film grossed over $72 million at the worldwide box office on a reported $8 million budget. A sequel, "28 Weeks Later," was released in 2007, featuring an entirely new cast and no involvement from Boyle or Garland.
However, with the release of "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" back-to-back with its predecessor, it appears that Sony has finally decided to complete the trilogy. Directed by Nia DaCosta and set for a January 16th release, early screenings have undoubtedly given the studio confidence in the project's success.
The original cast, including Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Jack O'Connell, and Ralph Fiennes, will return alongside franchise newcomers Erin Kellyman and Chi Lewis-Parry. Cillian Murphy's involvement has been confirmed for the third installment, but it remains unclear if he will reprise his role in a significant capacity.
While Sony has not made an official announcement regarding the cast of the third film, series screenwriter Alex Garland is at the helm to ensure continuity with the previous installments. Danny Boyle had expressed interest in directing the final installment in the past, but there has been no confirmation on this front.
A third installment of the zombie horror franchise "28 Years Later" is officially underway at Sony Pictures. The decision to proceed with the film comes after positive fan reactions to early screenings of the sequel, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." Series screenwriter Alex Garland has penned the script for the movie, and Cillian Murphy is set to reprise his role as protagonist Jim from the original "28 Days Later" and its predecessor.
The news marks a return to form for the franchise, which began in 2001 with Fox Searchlight's release of "28 Days Later." Directed by Danny Boyle, the film grossed over $72 million at the worldwide box office on a reported $8 million budget. A sequel, "28 Weeks Later," was released in 2007, featuring an entirely new cast and no involvement from Boyle or Garland.
However, with the release of "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" back-to-back with its predecessor, it appears that Sony has finally decided to complete the trilogy. Directed by Nia DaCosta and set for a January 16th release, early screenings have undoubtedly given the studio confidence in the project's success.
The original cast, including Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Jack O'Connell, and Ralph Fiennes, will return alongside franchise newcomers Erin Kellyman and Chi Lewis-Parry. Cillian Murphy's involvement has been confirmed for the third installment, but it remains unclear if he will reprise his role in a significant capacity.
While Sony has not made an official announcement regarding the cast of the third film, series screenwriter Alex Garland is at the helm to ensure continuity with the previous installments. Danny Boyle had expressed interest in directing the final installment in the past, but there has been no confirmation on this front.
! I mean, it's not like they can mess it up too badly, right? The original was actually pretty groundbreaking back in the day, and if Sony can get this third installment done justice, it'll be a great way to wrap up the trilogy. Cillian Murphy being part of it is a definite plus - he's always been awesome as Jim 
. I'm hoping they'll at least give him some significant screen time in the final film... would be super cool if Danny Boyle came on board, too 
. Still, 28 years have passed since the last one, so there's gotta be some expectations for this one. Fingers crossed it lives up to the hype! 
or is this gonna be some crazy twist that'll make me wanna watch again? 
also, love that Cillian Murphy is back as Jim! he's such a great actor 
can't wait to see how his character comes back in this new installment 
. It's great to see Alex Garland at the helm again too 
. The original cast is back, which is amazing... I mean, who doesn't want to see Alfie Williams and Aaron Taylor-Johnson on screen together again? 
But for real, it's gonna be a blast to see Jim face off against more undead shenanigans 
. Fingers crossed the final product turns out as epic as everyone's expecting! 
The guy can bring so much depth to any character, and Jim is definitely one of his best roles. I'm all for a third installment if it means we get more of those intense zombie scenes 
anyway, glad cillian murphy is back as jim, can't imagine anyone else in the role lol. alex garland at the helm tho, fingers crossed he doesn't mess it up 
. and cillian murphy, nice guy and all, can't he just take a break? it feels like we're just gonna get another bland zombie flick with some familiar faces on board 
! 28 years after that first outbreak, Jim's still kicking...or shambling? 
The trilogy has been in development hell for ages, but with Alex Garland at the script desk and Nia DaCosta directing...I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. Early screenings of "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" were positive, so fingers crossed they'll keep it going strong 
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. also, it's crazy that the franchise is finally getting closure after all these years 
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. And can you imagine seeing some of the old cast members back on screen? Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson... it's like a zombie reunion party 
! What do you guys think about this news?
. Alex Garland's on board to write the script, so you know it's gonna be dark and twisted 
. Fingers crossed they'll do the trilogy justice 
and now we're getting a trilogy? That's what I've been asking for! The original cast is back too, which is amazing. We gotta make this happen in 2025 
So now we're gonna make a trilogy out of this zombie franchise... I mean, it's not like the original 28 Days Later was just a one-off thing, right? 
Anyway, if Cillian Murphy is indeed back as Jim, that's actually kinda exciting. The bone temple sounds like some creepy stuff. Alex Garland writing the script means we can expect some decent storytelling. Nia DaCosta at the helm might just bring a fresh vibe to the series. I'm not exactly hyped for this but I'll give it a shot come Jan 16th 
. the cast looking good on paper too, can't wait for january 16th release date 
The only thing that's got me a bit curious is if Cillian Murphy will have a bigger role in the final installment... but honestly, I'm just here for Jim and his zombie-slaying skills 
just when you thought it was safe to go back into the world of zombie horror... another 28 Years Later movie is coming out and I'm already low-key hyped for the chaos that's gonna ensue