The 28 Days Later movie franchise has always taken its time. There were five years between 28 Days Later and its sequel 28 Weeks Later, and then a whopping 18 years between 28 Weeks Later and the upcoming 28 Years Later, which will premiere in theaters June 2025. But this time around, fans won’t have to wait years later to revisit this zombie apocalypse. In fact, they won’t even have to wait a year.
When 28 Years Later was first announced, it was described as the first part of a trilogy. Danny Boyle, the director of the first two movies, is returning for it, but that may be his last foray: the second installment in the trilogy, 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple, will be directed by Candyman and The Marvels director Nia DaCosta. But despite the different directors, these movies seem very closely related, down to the release dates.
Variety reports that The Bone Temple will premiere on January 16, 2026, only a few months after 28 Years Later. The two projects were filmed — on iPhones — back-to-back, suggesting the two stories will complement each other directly. Now, this release structure is even more evidence of that theory.
But such a small gap between movies is still rare. Wicked filmed both of its parts back-to-back, but there’s still a year gap in between its two installments. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were also filmed back-to-back, and they had a similar wait.
Because The Bone Temple is the second movie in a trilogy, this release date sets a lofty precedent for whatever story is coming after. At this point, to match the same pace, a third movie would need to start production relatively soon. But considering the years between the previous movies, it’s clear fans are willing to wait.
There’s a lot to look forward to with 28 Years Later: a glimpse at the future of its zombie apocalypse, Danny Boyle returning as director, and the possibility of previous star Cillian Murphy — a producer on the film — stepping back in front of the camera. But the biggest unknown is what could happen after, when the story expands and Boyle passes the torch. Now, we won’t have to wait that long to find out just how this risky strategy will work.
