After years of waiting and radio silence, the much-anticipated sequel to 28 Weeks Later has finally been confirmed, with Sony Pictures acquiring the rights to distribute 28 Years Later and its sequel.
THR reports that Sony Pictures has secured the rights for 28 Years Later with a sequel to the film greenlit as well. The outlet notes that the bidding came down to Sony and Warner Bros. before the former secured the rights.
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, who directed and wrote the 2002 film 28 Days Later, will return for the project and its sequel. Boyle will direct 28 Years Later, but it has yet to be confirmed whether he will direct the follow-up, while Garland is set to write the scripts for both films.
Cillian Murphy, who played the character Jim in 28 Days Later, is tied to the project and will serve as executive producer. However, according to THR, he may also act in the project, too. Murphy, who most recently starred in Christoper Nolan’s Oppenheimer, previously expressed interest in reprising his role should a third film be made.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Boyle and Garland were shopping the concept to potential buyers. This will be the second sequel in the 28 Days Later franchise, following 28 Weeks Later, released in 2007, with Boyle and Garland serving as Executive Producers. Not much is known about the film, as 28 Weeks Later’s ending was a cliffhanger.
The announcement comes as no surprise. Aside from the report earlier this month, in an interview with The Independent in 2019, Boyle confirmed that a third installment in the 28 Days Later franchise was in development. Before that interview, there had been talks of a sequel, presumably titled 28 Months Later, back in 2015, though as THR notes, “enough time has passed that 28 Years Later became the new idea.”
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
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