Danny Boyle Officially Updates Fans on 28 Years Later 3's Fate

Sep 30, 2026 · 3 min read

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Published Sep 30, 2026, 10:02 AM EDT

Willa Rowe is a contributing writer at Polygon, covering games and entertainment. She is a New York-based journalist and critic whose work has been featured in Kotaku, Digital Trends, the A.V. Club, GamesRadar+, and more. She also co-hosts the Girl Mode podcast.

There's been little news on the horror franchise since The Bone Temple's release

A father and son are pursued through a narrow causeway by a zombie in a scene from 28 Years Later — *28 Years Later*.

January feels like a lifetime ago at this point, so I wouldn't blame you for forgetting that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple came out this year. The sequel to 2025's 28 Years Later, set in Danny Boyle's thrilling zombie horror world, is a stunning film that revitalizes the genre and sets the stage for the conclusion of a planned trilogy. Despite the quick turnaround of the first two 28 Years Later films, the third entry hasn't made any movement, but Boyle is offering fans some hope.

During the Zurich Film Festival, as reported by Variety, Boyle said that "28 Years 3, or whatever it ends up being called, will get made because people keep asking about it." He isn't sure when, but Alex Garland — who wrote 28 Days Later and both 28 Years films — has already written the script, which Boyle calls "very good." Despite Boyle's optimism, there is still the small issue that the trilogy's conclusion hasn't been officially greenlit.

The next film would heavily feature Cillian Murphy, who starred as the lead in 28 Days Later. Murphy's full return was teased at the end of The Bone Temple, where he makes a brief appearance. Jim (Murphy's character) would presumably join Spike (Alfie Williams) and Kellie (Erin Kellyman) from The Bone Temple.

Danny Boyle reveals his pick for James Bond

First Look at Jimmy in 28 Years Later from director Nia DaCosta — The Jimmies visit the Bone Temple

In addition to talking about 28 Years Later, Boyle also talked Bond. The director was previously attached to direct No Time to Die, Craig's final film in the iconic role, before allegedly leaving the project due to creative differences with producers and Craig himself.

"They lost confidence in it," said Boyle. "It's a shame, because it could have been really good." Cary Joji Fukunaga would direct the film instead. Looking to the future, Boyle believes that Denis Villeneuve (who is set to helm the next Bond film) will be a good steward for the franchise. Interestingly, Villeneuve was initially courted to direct No Time to Die prior to Boyle's attachment to the project.

As for who should succeed Craig in the role, Boyle pointed to Jack O'Connell. Boyle and O'Connell have collaborated on the first 28 Years Later and the upcoming film Ink. Audiences will also be familiar with O'Connell's role as the disturbingly charismatic vampire Remmick in Sinners.