28 Years Later III is going ahead at Sony – and Cillian Murphy might return

Losing track of which number we're on at this point tbh

Stills from the 28 Years Later movie franchise
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)
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We never thought we’d say that a zombie apocalypse is the gift that keeps on giving, but it turns out that Danny Boyle’s 28 days / weeks / years franchise really is. A third 28 Years Later film is going ahead at Sony according to Variety, following positive reactions to early screenings of the trilogy’s second installment 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

Alex Garland is back writing the script, whilst OG star Cillian Murphy is reportedly in talks to reprise his role as Jim, the protagonist in 28 Days Later.

The franchise first hit screens in 2001 with Boyle’s 28 Days Later which was a fairly massive hit, grossing $72 million at the box office globally. Six years later we got 28 Weeks Later which debuted an entirely new cast, and neither Garland nor Boyle were directly involved. Most recently - at least for the general public - audiences were treated to 28 Years Later earlier this year, which both Garland and Boyle returned to as writer and director respectively.

28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube
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According to the duo, they had envisioned 28 Years as a trilogy making the first two films, 28 Years Later, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, back to back. The Bone Temple sequel is releasing shortly, landing in cinemas on 16th January 2026. However, the response from early viewings has been positive enough that it looks like Sony has given the green light to get cracking with the next iteration.

28 Years Later starred Aaron Taylor-Jonson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Alfie Williams. The whole cast apart from Comer are set to return in The Bone Temple, and Murphy is reportedly reprising his role from the original film – his first cameo since the initial film’s release.

So, it’s good news for any 28 fans (the film, not the age) as another film is coming your way. Even if we don’t fully confirmed news around casting yet, hopefully we’ll see some familiar faces announced soon.

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Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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