Over 20 years after Danny Boyle reinvented the zombie movie with 28 Days Later, the franchise is back and as good as ever with the 28 Years Later trilogy. Boyle returned to revive the franchise with 28 Years Later in 2025. The series will continue with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple in January 2026, directed by Nia DaCosta. And now, a third film has been confirmed, with original 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy poised to return.
Cillian Murphy played protagonist Jim in 28 Days Later (2002). His character managed to survive the movie, driving away injured but alive. However, he did not return for sequel movie 28 Weeks Later (2007), which told an altogether different story, following an entirely different set of characters. With the franchise's revival, fans were wondering if Cillian Murphy's Jim would make his triumphant return.
Despite rumours, he didn't appear in 28 Years Later, but he will appear in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Murphy himself has called his role in the upcoming sequel "little," suggesting a cameo more than a key figure. "I was only on it for a brief period," Murphy previously told the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "But it was quite emotional to go back and to think how bloody long ago it was."
In the third movie, closing off the trilogy, reports suggest that Murphy is stepping back into the post-apocalyptic world, possibly in a more significant way.
Per Deadline, 28 Years Later, Part 3 has got the green light from Sony Pictures, with Cillian Murphy in talks to return and Alex Garland once more penning the script. Garland wrote 28 Days Later, but didn't return for 28 Weeks Later, which had a largely different creative team. However, he did return to pen the scripts for the long-awaited sequel 28 Years Later, and also wrote the screenplay for upcoming follow-up The Bone Temple.
Despite releasing over two decades after the original, 28 Years Later managed to rekindle the hype of the franchise's earlier years. The movie opened to $30 million at the box office, going on to gross $151.3M worldwide — a pretty massive return. The movie boasted an all-star cast, including Jodie Comer (Isla), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Jamie), and Ralph Fiennes (Dr. Ian Kelson). Young actor Alfie Williams made a hugely impressive career debut as Spike.
The Bone Temple will continue the story of the 28 Years Later cast. The previous movie ended on a rather bizarre cliffhanger, with Spike seemingly joining a cult of the sinister Jimmy Crystal. The group appears to mirror the appearance of Jimmy Saville, a sex offender and pedophile who's one of the UK's most infamous figures. You can watch the trailer for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple below:
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple releases in theatres on January 16.