The disappointing box office numbers for 28 Years Later sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple mean that the planned trilogy’s conclusion is still struggling to lock in financing for the sequel. So much so that its originators are focusing on other projects.
“It’s on the back burner at the moment,” director Danny Boyle told Deadline at the London Film Festival of 28 Years Later 3‘s current status. Boyle reiterated that he “hopes” the third installment will be made if they secure funds.
Writer Alex Garland‘s busy schedule is also another reason for the pause. “Alex has been off doing his own film, which is a big project,” Boyle said. That project? A24’s Elden Ring, which is slated for a March 2028 release. As for Boyle, he’s settled on Antarctica as his next project, pushing 28 Years Later further down the pipeline.
The filmmaker’s previous comments were hopeful, though, promising that we’ll see a lot more Cillian Murphy when it eventually arrives. “28 Years 3, or whatever it ends up being called, will get made because people keep asking about it. Quite when I’m not sure, but there’s a script – a very good script by Alex Garland,” Boyle shared previously. The filmmaker then joked about Murphy having a full-frontal nude scene in the original, noting, “[It will have] a lot of Cillian Murphy in it. Whether he’ll take his kit off anymore, that I don’t know. He’s got the Oscar now.”
That’s certainly the expectation set up by The Bone Temple‘s closing moments, which saw Alfie Williams’ Spike running from the Infected straight toward the home of Cillian Murphy’s Jim, 28 Days Later‘s protagonist.
Sony was developing the third installment — with Garland penning the script, Danny Boyle attached to direct, and Murphy in talks to star — but there have been no updates in the wake of The Bone Temple’s release.
By the sounds of Boyle’s latest comments, it may be a while yet before any new developments on this trilogy arrive.
