“28 Years Later” the sequel to “28 Days Later,” will be released on June 20, 2025, Sony Pictures announced on Friday.
Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, the creative duo behind the original classic 2002 zombie thriller, are set to return.
The original indie hit combined Boyle’s kinetic visual style with Garland’s brainy spin on zombie mythology. “28 Days Later” upended the shuffle-walking undead by introducing “infected” humans filled with murderous rage.
Boyle is attached to direct the first film in the new “28 Days Later” trilogy, with Garland set to pen all three scripts. The budget for each entry is expected to land in the $75 million range, signaling more expansive productions compared to the original’s modest $8 million price tag.
Boyle and Garland will produce the series alongside Andrew Macdonald, a producer on the first two films. Former Fox Searchlight head Peter Rice is also boarding the project – Fox Searchlight backed the original indie hit and its sequel when Rice was at the helm.
The 2002 original starred Cillian Murphy as a man awakening from a coma to find London devastated by virus-infected humans turned murderous monsters. Naomie Harris co-starred as a fellow survivor, with Christopher Eccleston as a deranged military officer. Murphy will return to produce the sequel, but is not currently attached to the movie as a star.
Boyle and Garland also produced the 2007 follow-up “28 Weeks Later.”
The new trilogy was announced in January.
Murphy was largely unknown when the original movie debuted. In March, he told Josh Horowitz of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that the role helped him land a part in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”
Of the two directors, Murphy explained, “I know that they both have immense respect for each other. Chris saw ’28 Days Later’ before he cast me in ‘Batman Begins.’ I know they’re fans of each other’s work. They’re singular voices, you know, they really are unique filmmakers, and they have that same passion and energy on set.”
Murphy added that the idea for more installments in the franchise had been “brewing for a while.”