Are we still getting a third 28 Years Later movie? It’s been up in the air since 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple whiffed last year with just $58M worldwide, a shockingly low number considering its predecessor made $150M. But according to Danny Boyle, speaking with my bud Chris Bumbray at Joblo.com, plans are underway for the sequel to shoot next year…maybe.
Boyle said, “We ran out of time. Because it’s set in an area of Britain [where] you can only film at certain times of the year. We ran out of time this year – we literally ran out of time… So it’ll be, hopefully, fingers crossed, next year. But there’s the enthusiasm there, and Alex (Garland) has done a wonderful script for it.”
I would urge caution here before getting too excited. Each film in the new 28 Years Later trilogy has been conditional, based on the box office success. We got Nia DaCosta’s sequel because the first movie performed well, but her film didn’t. And Boyle doesn’t sound overly confident at all, just hope springing eternal and all that.
Presumably, if a third movie does happen, Cillian Murphy will return as Jim, lead of the original 28 Days Later in 2003. His storyline was teased at the end of The Bone Temple, but Murphy has not been officially announced for another.
I thought 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was way more interesting than the first, and there are clearly a lot of stories left to tell in this devastated world. Part of me wouldn’t be surprised if Sony Pictures unloads the franchise to another studio. But at the same time, Boyle is expected to get back in the director’s chair, and usually his fans will follow.
