28 Years Later 3: Here's the latest on the release of the Bone Temple Sequel

Fans can breathe a sigh of relief: The third installment of "28 Years Later" is still on track. After its predecessor, "The Bone Temple," flopped at the box office, doubts arose about the planned sequel to the horror series. But now director Danny Boyle has given the all-clear.

In an interview with JoBlo, the filmmaker made it clear that Part 3 of "28 Years Later" is still in the works. However, there have been delays, as Boyle explains:

"We ran out of time. Because it's set in an area of Britain [where] you can only film at certain times of the year. We ran out of time this year – we literally ran out of time… So it'll be, hopefully, fingers crossed, next year."

It all began with Danny Boyle's film 28 Days Later

"28 Days Later," released in 2003, was the very first installment in the post-apocalyptic horror film series. The premise: A contagious virus was released in England, causing those infected to develop a murderous rage. An epidemic ensues with far-reaching consequences for society. Essentially, this gives the classic zombie genre a modern twist. "28 Days Later" was directed by Danny Boyle, with a screenplay by Alex Garland. The two stepped aside for the 2007 sequel, "28 Weeks Later." Juan Carlos Fresnadillo took over as director and, along with Jesús Olmo, Rowan Joffé, and E.L. Lavigne, also wrote the screenplay.

In 2025, Boyle returned as director and Garland as writer for "28 Years Later." The film is the first part of a trilogy that continued this year with "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." Garland also wrote the screenplay for this film, though Nia DaCosta took the director's chair instead of Boyle. Boyle will return to direct the planned third installment. The director is already looking forward to it – and is apparently very impressed by the screenplay, which was once again written by Garland. Speaking to JoBlo, the director emphasized:

"But there's the enthusiasm there, and Alex (Garland) has done a wonderful script for it."

Danny Boyle returns as director

Looking at Danny Boyle's filmography, the excitement seems to be real. The director isn't actually known for making sequels. One exception is his acclaimed 1996 film "Trainspotting," which he followed up with a sequel in 2017. Otherwise, over the years, Boyle has distinguished himself by exploring a wide variety of films across diverse genres: Among others, his 2007 science fiction film "Sunshine," the 2015 biopic "Steve Jobs," and the 2019 romantic comedy "Yesterday" were released. When it comes to the horror genre, however, Boyle seems to have taken a particular liking to the "28 Days Later" universe: How else could one explain his decision to take the director's chair once again for the series?

It will be interesting to see whether the planned third installment of "28 Years Later" will be more successful than its predecessor. "The Bone Temple" grossed just $58.5 million at the global box office – on a budget of $63 million. By comparison: The first installment of "28 Years Later" cost $60 million – and grossed $151 million.

Cillian Murphy's return expected

The plot of "28 Years Later 3" has not yet been officially announced. However, fans of the original 2003 film will likely be particularly excited to hear that the return of former "28 Days Later" lead actor Cillian Murphy is also expected. The actor, who won an Oscar in 2024 for his leading role in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," certainly seems eager for a comeback. When asked about it a few months ago, he told The Times that he was "ready" for it.

In any case, it will still be a while before the third installment of "28 Years Later" is released. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer for the predecessor, "The Bone Temple," here: