Plans for a third film began shortly after the release of 28 Weeks Later. It was delayed by conflicts over the film rights and entered development hell. It gained traction in 2024, after the rights to the first film reverted back to series producer Andrew Macdonald from Searchlight Pictures. Macdonald sold the rights to Sony Pictures, on the provision the studio agreed to fund sequels.
28 Years Later marks the returns of Boyle, Garland and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle to the series, all of whom worked on the first film, with original star Cillian Murphy as executive producer. It was shot back-to-back with its sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, set to be released in January 2026.
28 Years Later was released in the United Kingdom and the United States by Columbia Pictures through Sony Pictures Releasing on 20 June 2025. It received generally positive reviews and grossed $151.3 million worldwide against on a budget of $60 million.
Plot
In 2002, during the initial outbreak of the Rage virus,[a] a young boy, Jimmy Crystal, while watching Teletubbies, flees his house in the Scottish Highlands as his family are attacked by the infected. He takes refuge in the local church with his father, a minister, but finds him praying in ecstasy, since he interprets the virus as a harbinger of the end times and the Day of Judgement. Jimmy's father bequeaths him a cross necklace and helps him to safety before submitting to the infected as they break in.
Twenty-eight years after its second outbreak,[b] the Rage virus has been eradicated from continental Europe, while the British Isles remain under indefinite quarantine with few survivors. A civilised community has subsisted on the holy island of Lindisfarne, defended naturally from Great Britain by a causeway that floods with the tide. Among them are Jamie, a scavenger; his wife, Isla, who has a mentally debilitating illness; and their 12-year-old son, Spike. Jamie and Spike cross to mainland Britain for a coming-of-age hunting ritual. They find an infected tied up and branded with the name "Jimmy", and escape a pack of infected led by an "alpha", an evolved infected that is stronger and more intelligent. They shelter overnight in the attic of a run-down cottage, where Spike observes foreign boats on quarantine patrol and a fire further inland. When the attic collapses, the alpha pursues Jamie and Spike across the partially inundated causeway until the village sentries kill it with a ballista.
The village throws a party for Spike to celebrate his first kill. Spike is upset by Jamie's embellishment of his deeds, and discovers his affair with Rosie, the village schoolteacher. He discusses the fire with a family friend, Sam, who suggests it was Dr Ian Kelson, a former GP in exile. The next morning, Spike confronts Jamie over his unwillingness to seek medical care for Isla and his infidelity. Jamie insists that Kelson, whom he once witnessed burning corpses en masse, is too mentally unstable to help. Unconvinced, Spike escapes the island with Isla. Spike and Isla are rescued from a pack of infected by Swedish Navy seaman Erik Sundqvist, the sole survivor of a stranded NATO quarantine patrol boat. Isla discovers a pregnant infected and helps it deliver an uninfected baby girl. A paranoid Erik shoots the infected mother and threatens to kill Isla and Spike alongside the newborn if they do not let him kill it, but the alpha father appears and decapitates him.
Dr Kelson appears and subdues the alpha, whom he has named Samson, with a blowgun and morphine-xylazine dart. Kelson leads Spike and Isla to a monument he has constructed out of cleaned human bones. He explains the funerary concept of memento mori and incorporates Erik's skull into the monument. Kelson examines Isla and deduces that she has advanced terminal cancer. Kelson consoles Spike advising him memento amoris – "remember you must love". Isla and Spike share their last moment together as she accepts her mortality and arranges for Kelson to euthanize her, after which he gives her skull to Spike to place at the top of the monument.
When Samson infiltrates the sanctuary, Spike fends him off, saving Kelson's life. Kelson encourages Spike to go home with the infant. Instead, Spike leaves her at the village gate and returns to the mainland, still disillusioned. Jamie reads a note from Spike that reveals he has named the girl after Isla and promises he will return when he is ready. Jamie tries to follow but is blocked by the rising tide. Twenty-eight days later, Spike is rescued from a pack of infected by a group styled after the British media personality Jimmy Savile.[6] He is greeted by their leader, the adult Jimmy Crystal, now bearing an inverted cross.
28 Years Later saw the returns of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland to their respective roles as director and screenwriter from 28 Days Later. Cillian Murphy, who portrayed the lead role of Jim in 28 Days Later, returned as an executive producer.
In June 2007, Fox Atomic confirmed development on a third 28 Days Later film, dependent upon the financial performance of 28 Weeks Later following its home video release.[8] In July of the same year, Danny Boyle said that the story for a third instalment had been mapped out.[9] By October 2010, Alex Garland stated that due to differences involving the film rights, the project had been delayed.[10] In January 2011, Boyle stated that he believed the project would be realised, confirming further developments for the story.[11] By April 2013, however, the filmmaker expressed uncertainty as to whether the movie would be made.[12] In January 2015, Garland addressed the project's status, confirming that while it had fallen into development hell there were serious discussions going on behind the scenes to produce the project. Reiterating that development was progressing, he stated that the script he was working on was tentatively titled 28 Months Later.[13] In June 2019, Boyle confirmed that he and Garland had been working on the third instalment.[14] In March 2020, Imogen Poots expressed interest in reprising her role from 28 Weeks Later,[15] followed by Cillian Murphy in May 2021.[16]
In November 2022, Boyle, Garland and Murphy all indicated their interest in making a sequel to 28 Days Later.[17] In June 2023, Boyle and Garland expressed in collaboration their intentions to "seriously" and "diligently" see the project enter production; while announcing that the script was now titled 28 Years Later, acknowledging the years it had taken to be developed. Boyle stated that he would like to serve as director, unless Garland chooses to.[18] By July of the same year, Murphy stated that he had recently discussed the possibility of a third film with Boyle; once again expressing interest in reprising his role if Boyle and Garland return to the franchise in their creative roles.[19]
In January 2024, it was announced that a third film titled 28 Years Later was officially in development; with plans for the project to be the first of a new trilogy of sequels. Danny Boyle directed the first instalment, with a script written by Alex Garland; while the latter will also write the scripts for each of the planned sequels. Boyle, Garland, Andrew Macdonald, and Peter Rice will serve as producers.[20][21] In February of the same year, Murphy discussed his potential involvement with the project; that same month, it was reported that the rights to the first film had reverted back to Macdonald from Searchlight Pictures.[22][23] He promptly sold the first film's distribution rights to Sony Pictures, as well as rights to future sequels.[c][24][25][26] In March 2024, Garland confirmed that he is writing a trilogy of sequel films.[27] The following month, Garland said the 1969 film Kes was a major influence.[28] Murphy was revealed as an executive producer later that month.[29] The film was produced by Columbia Pictures,[30] and DNA Films,[31] with funding support from TSG Entertainment.
Casting
In April 2024, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes were cast to star,[32] with Jack O'Connell joining the cast in May.[33] It was initially reported that Cillian Murphy would reprise his role as Jim,[34][35] but in January 2025 the film's producer Andrew Macdonald confirmed he would not appear, though he remains an executive producer.[36]Erin Kellyman was cast in June 2024.[37]
Filming
Principal photography began on 7 May 2024 in Northumberland,[38][39] with Anthony Dod Mantle serving as the cinematographer.[40] Filming wrapped on 29 July.[41] The film was primarily shot using an iPhone 15 Pro Max,[42] in addition to action cameras, drones, and other digital and film cameras.[43] The use of small digital cameras harks back to filming the original 28 Days Later using the Canon XL-1 digital camcorder, which was manoeuvrable enough to film the deserted locales within the time limits allowed by officials.[42] The film was shot in a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, reminiscent of productions using Ultra Panavision 70, which was chosen to emphasise the unpredictability of the infected and to heighten tension by compelling viewers to "keep scanning" the wide frame.[7]
Scenes were shot at 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per-second, and in some scenes the actors performed their own camera work.[44] Some shots employed a bullet time effect, created using a custom-built circular rig equipped with eight to twenty iPhone cameras.[7] This setup also allowed scenes to be filmed from multiple angles simultaneously, giving director Danny Boyle greater flexibility during editing.[7] Boyle explained that using iPhones allowed the crew to film with minimal equipment, providing easier access to the rural landscapes of Northumberland while minimising environmental impact and helping to preserve the area's natural appearance.[44] The iPhone's default camera software posed some challenges for filming because its automatic focus tended to prioritise the brightest or most prominent object in the frame rather than the intended point of dramatic focus, requiring manual overrides to achieve the desired cinematic effect.[44]
The infected characters in the film are depicted in the nude;[49][50] however, according to Boyle, the actors portraying those characters were required by law to cover their own genitalia with prosthetic genitalia due to the presence of child actor Alfie Williams on the set.[51]
28 Years Later premiered in a special day-ahead preview on 19 June 2025 at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne, attended by director Boyle and local actor Williams, as well numerous crew, service providers and extras from across the surrounding Northumberland area who were involved in the location shooting of the film.[55] It was released in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Releasing on 20 June 2025.[56]
The full 1915 recording of Taylor Holmes' recital of "Boots" that was used in edited form in the film's first and second trailers, as well as during the film.
The first trailer was released on 10 December 2024.[57] It features the 1903 poem "Boots" by Rudyard Kipling, recited by American actor Taylor Holmes in 1915. The trailer became #1 trending on YouTube, and in 48 hours had over 10 million views. Stuart Heritage, the film critic for The Guardian, particularly noted the use of Holmes's spoken-word recording of "Boots" and commented: "As of now, though, it's just about the most exciting film of 2025. And this is entirely down to its trailer."[58][59] The trailer's viral success led to Sony's decision to re-release the original 28 Days Later film on digital platforms on 18 December 2024.[60]
28 Years Later grossed $70.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $80.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $151.3 million.[4][5]
In the United States and Canada, 28 Years Later was released alongside Elio, and was expected to gross around $30 million in its opening weekend from 3,444 theatres, with some estimates going as high as $45 million.[61][3] The film made $14 million on its first day, including $5.8 million from Thursday previews.[62] It ended up debuting to $30 million, finishing second behind holdover How to Train Your Dragon and becoming the highest opening weekend of the franchise.[63]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 378 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "28 Years Later taps into contemporary anxieties with the ferocious urgency of someone infected with Rage Virus, delivering a haunting and visceral thrill ride that defies expectations."[64]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 56 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[65] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while 52% of those surveyed PostTrak said they would definitely recommend it.[62]
Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph gave the film 5/5 stars, describing the film as a mix of A Canterbury Tale andCannibal Holocaust.[66] Ed Potton of The Times also gave it 5/5 stars, calling the film "astonishing". He acknowledged that its "sense of hallucinogenic sweatiness" would not appeal to everyone, but praised Boyle and Garland for taking risks.[67]
The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey described 28 Years Later as "a post-Brexit, COVID-19-conscious take on this world", identifying themes of nationalism and isolationism within the film. She gave it 3/5 stars.[68]Rolling Stone's David Fear questioned whether the film was satisfactory as a whole, but praised the film for "making the most" out of its timely themes.[69] Adam Graham of The Detroit News gave it a D grade, calling it "an uneven mix of horror movie gnarliness and human melancholia that never finds even ground or a consistent tone, and may make viewers reel from genre whiplash."[70]
Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal gave 28 Years Later a negative review, describing it as a "stinker [that] carries the fragrance of a zombie underarm."[71] Likewise, JoySauce's Julienne Loreto called the film a disappointment, criticizing its zombies for being "glorified cavemen".[72]
Rotten Tomatoes lists the film on its 100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer.[73]
In April 2024, Nia DaCosta was reportedly in negotiations to direct a sequel to the film, the second part of a planned trilogy, with Boyle, Garland, Macdonald, Rice, and Bernie Bellew attached as producers.[79] In June 2024, via a copyright filing, the title of the film was seemingly revealed to be 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.[80][81]
On 18 August 2024, during a talk at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Macdonald confirmed DaCosta would be directing the sequel and said that principal photography was set to begin the following day. Macdonald also talked about potential plans for a third 28 Years Later film, saying "we hope there is going to be a third part" and "there is a trilogy".[82]
↑ Raging back - 16 Jan 2025 - Empire Magazine. Empire. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2025. Despite early reports that the whole film was shot on iPhone, Macdonald clarifies they were only "part of a toolkit" that also included drones, other digital cameras, and film cameras."
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