Titled ’28 Years Later,’ the first film will see the return of director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland
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Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later (2003)
28 Days Later is reportedly coming back from the dead — maybe even times three.
Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland are teaming up once again for another installment in the zombie-apocalypse franchise that has so far included 2003’s Cillian Murphy-starring 28 Days Later and its 2007 follow-up 28 Weeks Later, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Though the latter film was led by a different director (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo) and co-writers (Fresnadillo, 56, plus Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne and Jesus Olmo), Boyle and Garland are set to direct and write a follow-up titled 28 Years Later that will potentially launch a trilogy, per THR.
The outlet also reports that Garland, 53, is slated to write all three and Boyle, 67, is on board as director for at least the first movie.
PEOPLE is out to reps for Boyle, Garland and Searchlight Pictures for comment.
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Alex Garland and Danny Boyle in the U.K. in April 2003
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28 Days Later follows Murphy’s character Jim as he wakes up in a hospital and soon wanders the deserted streets of a once-bustling London, shocked to find he is alone. He soon locates other survivors, and they try to figure out how to survive both in the short- and long-term as the “rage virus,” which stemmed from a chimpanzee, continues to spread.
Aside from Murphy, 47, the film starred Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, Christopher Eccleston, Noah Huntley and Stuart McQuarrie.
A standalone sequel to 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later followed another group of individuals set in the titular timeframe, in which “the U.S. Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again,” according to a synopsis on IMDb.
The cast of 28 Days Later included Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Imogen Poots and Idris Elba.
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28 Weeks Later (2007)
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While it’s unknown whether Murphy — who recently won a Golden Globe for his titular role in Oppenheimer — will return to the 28 Days Later franchise, the actor has collaborated with Boyle and Garland since, leading the cast of their 2007 sci-fi flick Sunshine.
Of 28 Days Later, Murphy told NME for an interview published in November 2022 that the thriller “opened doors” for him in the industry.
“I managed to get meetings. I met [Oppenheimer director] Christopher Nolan through that, so it was massive for me,” added the Irish actor.
Asked whether he’d ever join for another film in the 28 Days Later franchise, Murphy told NME with a laugh, “I think there’s a problem with that, in that I’m 20 years older. But every time I do bump into Danny or Alex I always mention it.”
“Because I showed it to my kids recently, some Halloween about four or five years ago, and they loved it,” said the father of two. “It really stands up, which is amazing for a film that’s 20 years old. So yeah, I love the idea and it’s very appealing to me.”
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