Sony Confirms Third 28 Years Later Film

Sony Pictures is moving forward with a third installment in the 28 Years Later zombie franchise, confirming the development of the trilogy's concluding film after positive early reactions to the upcoming second entry. Writer Alex Garland is penning the screenplay, while actor Cillian Murphy, who starred in the original 2002 film 28 Days Later, is in discussions to reprise his role.

The announcement comes as anticipation builds for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta and set for release on January 16 during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The first film, 28 Years Later, directed by Danny Boyle, hit theaters in June and opened to $30 million domestically, eventually grossing $70.4 million in the United States and $151.3 million worldwide. Those figures marked the highest earnings in the franchise's history, surpassing the original 28 Days Later and its 2007 follow-up, 28 Weeks Later, and bringing the series' total global box office to nearly $300 million across all prior entries.

The two new films were shot back-to-back, with Boyle helming the opener and DaCosta taking over for the sequel. The project revives the dystopian world created by Boyle...