Ahead of the release of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple in January 2026, Sony is moving ahead with the third film in the franchise, with Cillian Murphy in talks to reprise his role.
As reported by Deadline, part three of the 28 Years Later film franchise doesn’t have a name yet, nor have any plot details been revealed, but Murphy, who starred as Jim in the original 2002 film 28 Days Later, might return after reprising his role in The Bone Temple if talks go through.
Additionally, Alex Garland is also set to return to pen the script for part three, following his work on all the movies in the franchise except the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Murphy also served as executive producer on both 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, so it’s unclear if he will continue these duties for the third chapter.
Sony won the rights to the 28 Years Later movies in January 2024 after a bidding war, and while director Danny Boyle had hoped for a trilogy, only two films were greenlit, which they shot back-to-back. Boyle directed the first instalment, while its upcoming sequel is helmed by Nia DaCosta (The Marvels). It seems that the success of 28 Years Later, which grossed a total of US$151.3 million at the global box office and became the franchise’s highest-earning film, has spurred Sony to grant the go-ahead for a third chapter.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will see Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and his crew searching for “souls to deliver to hell” amid Dr Kelson’s (Ralph Fiennes) continued research into the nature of the Rage virus. Additional casting for the second film includes Emma Laird (The Brutalist), Maura Bird, and Erin Kellyman (Willow), with Murphy appearing in a minor role.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits theatres on 16 January 2026, with its official logline reading:
“In a continuation of the epic story, Dr Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship — with consequences that could change the world as they know it — and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival — the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.”
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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