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Screewriter and filmmaker Alex Garland explained the origin of the agile zombies in 28 Days Later and its sequels, and how the film series has been influenced by the Resident Evil video game in a new interview. Notably, Garland penned the screenplay for 28 Days Later and its upcoming sequels: 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Alex Garland reveals Resident Evil game’s influence on 28 Days Later
Garland gave a recent interview to GQ in which he discussed some of his most memorable works as a screenwriter and filmmaker. 28 Days Later, which was Garland’s first project as a screenwriter, understandably came up first. He revealed that the “quick zombies” in the movie were inspired by the fast-moving dogs from Resident Evil.
During the interview, Garland recalled that he had visited a country that had been experiencing “very intense kind of hardships.” Upon returning to England, he grew “frustrated” with the country’s “complacency.” He wanted to bring the aforementioned hardships to England. He then proceeded to explain how Resident Evil influenced his screenplay.
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“Not long before writing 28 Days Later… there was a game on the PlayStation, Resident Evil,” Garland said, adding that the game reminded him “how much he loved zombie movies” and that “it hasn’t been one for ages.” He said that while playing the game, he realized that the zombies weren’t that scary as they moved slowly, allowing players to kill them easily or “get away from them with a brisk walk.”
Garland continued, “But there was something in the game, which were these dogs. And the dogs moved really quickly.” Garland explained that the dogs would scare him sometimes, and that was what ultimately gave him “the sort of idea” of a zombie movie, “where the zombies move quickly.”
Notably, 28 Years Later premieres on June 20, 2025, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will come out in 2026.
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on ComingSoon.
The post 28 Days Later Writer Credits Resident Evil for New Zombie Variants appeared first on Mandatory.
