28 Years Later, the long-awaited sequel to the zombie classics 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, has scheduled a June 2025 release date.
Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland will both return for the franchise’s third movie, which itself is positioned as the first chapter of a new trilogy. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes are among the upcoming film’s cast, Variety reports.
Oppenheimer Best Actor Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, who was relatively unknown when he starred in 28 Days Later over two decades ago, will also serve as executive producer on 28 Years Later; as of now, Murphy has not been cast in the film, arriving June 20, 2025.
28 Weeks Later finds both Boyle and Garland — who has since directed films like Civil War, Ex Machina, and Men — returning to the franchise after the initial 2002 installment; neither the director nor the screenwriter returned for the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, which was helmed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, though Boyle served as executive producer on that film.
Earlier this year, when Boyle first revealed plans to revive the long-gestating project, the director also said 28 Years Later would serve as the first installment of a planned trilogy, with Garland penning all three scripts; Candyman and The Marvels director Nia DaCosta is in talks to helm the second movie in the trilogy, the Hollywood Reporter reports. Plot details for the trilogy have not yet been shared.
In February, Murphy spoke to Variety about his eagerness to return to the post-apocalyptic world of 28 Days Later in some capacity. “I’ve always said I would love to be involved because that movie changed everything for me and I have great affection for it and for those guys Alex [Garland] and Danny [Boyle],” Murphy said.
“I never watch my own films, except that one. It’s always on around Halloween and during the pandemic people were constantly sending me clips. And I’ve shown it to my kids. And it’s really stood up, even though it’s something like 23 years old now. So I’m really thrilled that we’ll get the band back together to makes this one.”
