By james art To Danny Boyle 28 days later is one of the most celebrated classics of modern horror cinema, but where can UK audiences watch the film? Read on for all the information.
The 2002 film was written by Alex Garland, who went on to write the screenplays for films such as Sunshine, Dredd and Never Let Me Goand ultimately directly Ex Machina, Destruction and civil war.
Boyle continued his work A shallow grave, Trainspotting, A less ordinary life and The beachand was credited with reviving the zombie genre, even if the creatures in the film aren’t technically undead.
The film is set against the backdrop of an outbreak of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus as society has broken down. Cillian Murphy stars as Jim, a bicycle courier who falls into a pre-epidemic coma and wakes up to find London looking completely deserted. Naomie Harris plays a chemist with an extreme determination to survive and the two decide to travel to Manchester with taxi driver Brendan Gleeson and his daughter Megan Burns.
The film spawned a sequel 28 weeks later in 2007 and a third film 28 years later It’s reportedly shot now, entirely on cellphone, with a tentative release date of June 2025. Boyle and Murphy are back for the film, which is expected to be the start of a new trilogy. Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will co-star.
Speaking of NME in 2022 about a potential return to the franchise, Murphy said, “I think there’s a problem with that, being 20 years older…but every time I run into Danny or Alex, I always bring it up. Because I showed it to my kids recently, for Halloween about four or five years ago, and they loved it. It really stands up, which is amazing for a movie that’s 20 years old. So yes, I like the idea and it’s very attractive to me.”
Also speaking of NME in 2022 Boyle confirmed that Garland has written a script for a potential sequel to 28 weeks later named 28 months later with a “great idea” at its center. “It feels like a really good time actually,” he continued. “It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about it until you just said it and I remembered, ‘Bam, this script!'” which is again set in England, very much about England.
How to watch 28 days later in Great Britain
Despite being a beloved classic of modern British cinema, 28 Days Later is not actually available to stream or buy on any digital platform in the UK from November 2024.
Disney owned the rights to the independently financed film, but lost them when Sony acquired the rights in anticipation of the upcoming sequels, leaving Disney with only the Searchlight-financed sequel. Sony have yet to make the film available, though it’s likely they will in some form before 28’s release later next year.
However, the film is still available for purchase in physical formats including Blu-ray and DVD.