17 years later, an iconic post-apocalyptic franchise is going in a bold new direction – backwards

It’s been decades since Danny Boyle and Alex Garland redefined the zombie genre with 28 days laterbut are preparing to try again. The duo reunited to helm a sequel trilogy, with the franchise’s original star, Cillian Murphy, reprising his role as a zombie apocalypse survivor. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes will star in the 28 Years Later trilogy, and the first two installments are underway.

In a recent interview with IndieWireFiennes confirmed that two of the three films have already been shot. Boyle himself directed 28 years laterwhile Marvel alum Nia DaCosta is directing its tentatively titled sequel 28 Years Later, Part II: The Bone Temple. Specific details about the trilogy are being kept under wraps, but Fiennes also teased the plot of the first two films in his conversation with IndieWire.

c 28 years laterBritain has been transformed by a blood-borne disease known as the rabies virus, with “a few pockets of uninfected communities” scattered across the countryside. According to Fiennes, the trilogy follows “a young boy who wants to find a doctor to help his dying mother. He leads his mother through this beautiful northern English terrain. But of course, around them hide in forests and hills and forests are the infected. But he finds a doctor who is someone we might think would be weird and strange, but is actually a force for good.

Fiennes will reportedly play the Doctor, although he has kept his co-stars’ respective roles under wraps. It will be interesting to see how this narrative expands the world of the series, especially given what we know (or think we know) about the saga so far. Back in 2007 28 weeks later took the series in a more action-oriented direction, and this could potentially slow it down and make it a bit more moody again.

According to Sony Chairman Tom Rothman, 28 years later is “in no way a literal sequel,” suggesting that the trilogy could take the franchise in an entirely new direction. Whether this involves a repeat of past events or even a complete reboot remains to be seen, but the first film in the trilogy is due to hit theaters in June 2025, so official answers could be just around the corner.

with The bone temple also in post-production, it may not be long before the film is ready to watch. Sony is apparently ramping up production on the trilogy, which bodes well for zombie fans. If the studio has its way, we could get every movie from 28 years later in quick succession, which will be a treat as long as their quality doesn’t suffer.