Will there be a 28 Days Later 3? Here’s what we know about a sequel:

28 Days Later 3

In 2002, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland released their acclaimed horror film, 28 Days Later. The film focussed on a man named Jim (Cillian Murphy) who woke up from a coma, only to discover that London had been decimated by zombie-like humans who had fallen prey to a contagious disease. 

A sequel was released in 2007. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, it was set 28 weeks after the virus hit and followed a new cast of characters who were living in a quarantined safety zone. When an unsuspecting carrier of the deadly pathogen entered their sanctuary, all hell broke loose when the residents of this ‘safe’ place started to turn into blood-crazed zombies. 

Both films were highly rated but despite the critical acclaim they received, a sequel was not forthcoming. 

If you’re a fan of these films or zombie flicks in general, you might want to know if a part 3 is ever going to happen. 

Will there be a 28 Days Later 3? Here’s what we know about a sequel.

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Will there be a 28 Days Later 3?

Back in 2015, 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland teased a third film when he spoke to IGN. He said:

“We’ve just started talking about it seriously…we’ve got an idea. Danny [Boyle] and [producer] Andrew [Macdonald] and I have been having quite serious conversations about it so it is a possibility. It’s complicated. There’s a whole bunch of reasons why it’s complicated, which are boring so I won’t go into, but there’s a possibility.

It’s more likely to be 28 Months than 28 Years. 28 Years gives you one more place to go. 28 Decades is probably taking the piss.”

Admittedly, he didn’t give much away here but his words gave fans of the first two films hope for another sequel. But just like the decimated London from 28 Days Later, all went quiet and it was assumed that the sequel was never going to happen. 

But in July 2023, Garland and director Danny Boyle both confirmed plans for another film, which will likely be called 28 Years Later. 

When speaking to Inverse, Garland said: 

“A few years ago an idea materialized in my head for what would be really 28 Years Later. Danny always liked the idea.”

Continuing the conversation about the next film, Boyle 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.”

No other information has been revealed at this stage but if you have been chomping at the bit like a ravenous zombie waiting for news about a sequel, you will be glad to know a third movie might be on the way. 

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Why has it taken so long for a sequel to happen?

While 28 Weeks Later was a good film, it would appear that Garland wasn’t happy with the direction the franchise went in. It was more of an action flick than the original film that, with its low budget and small-scale approach, was the antithesis of a summer blockbuster. 

Boyle and Garland didn’t have much to do with the second film because they were busy with the psychological space thriller Sunshine, although Boyle did direct the opening scene and Garland reportedly provided script rewrites. 

Garland told Inverse:

“I resisted [making a sequel] for a long time because there were things about 28 Weeks that bugged me. I just thought, ‘F*ck that. I’d rather try to write a different story in a different world.”

This explains why a sequel has been a long-time coming but it now appears he and Boyle have regained their interest in the franchise. 

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What will 28 Years Later be about?

As the film hasn’t been officially confirmed, we don’t have any information on potential plot details.

If the sequel does stick to the assumed title, it will be set 28 years after the virus nearly wiped out humanity and it will likely feature hordes of zombie-like individuals. 

There is also a chance that Cillian Murphy will return to the franchise. When discussing the possibility with Collider, the actor 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 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.”

At the end of the last film, Murphy’s character Jim was taking refuge in a cottage in Cumbria with other survivors. If the film is set 28 years later, he will likely have moved on from there but as to where he ended up, we don’t know. If he is in the third film, we should find out what happened to him in the intervening years. 

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When could 28 Years Later be released?

It’s hard to say at this point as the film hasn’t gone into production, as far as we know. We predict it will be released within the next 2-3 years if Boyle and Garland do start to work on it soon, but we’ll update this page if we get fresh information.

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Would you like to see 28 Years Later? What did you think of the first two films? Let us know in the comments below.