Nearly two decades after the last installment, the zombie franchise that redefined the genre returns to theaters today with "28 Years Later," reuniting director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland for their first collaboration on the series since the original 2002 film.
The long-awaited sequel has earned critical acclaim, debuting with a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are calling it "one of the best movies of the year" and praising it as "wilder, weirder, darker, bloodier" than its predecessor. The film marks the beginning of a new trilogy, with its sequel "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" already completed and scheduled for release on January 16, 2026.
Industry observers expect the film to perform well at the box office, building on the franchise's history of commercial success. The original "28 Days Later" grossed $82.8 million worldwide on just an $8 million budget1, while 2007's "28 Weeks Later" also proved profitable despite Boyle and Garland's limited involvement2.
"Studios are profit machines, they are driven by that," Boyle told Business Insider. "And so they're alert to what works, and so they tend to lean on sequels if they can, because it gives them a measure of security"3.
Set 28 years after the rage virus outbreak, the film follows 12-year-old Spike, played by newcomer Alfie Williams, as he ventures from his island refuge to find help for his dying mother on the infected mainland1. The story introduces new variants of the infected that differ from previous films, created with help from special makeup effects supervisor John Nolan1.
The film's ending has sparked controversy among early viewers, with many describing it as tonally inconsistent with the rest of the movie23. The finale introduces a character named Jimmy, played by Jack O'Connell, who Boyle says will be "a hugely significant figure" in the upcoming sequel2.
The original "28 Days Later" is credited with revitalizing the zombie genre by introducing fast-moving infected creatures, influencing subsequent films including "Dawn of the Dead," "Zombieland," and "The Walking Dead"1. Garland has said Brexit served as inspiration for the new film, particularly "how the rest of the world began to view the UK"2.
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" will be directed by Nia DaCosta, with Garland returning as screenwriter3.