‘28 Years Later 3’: Danny Boyle Promises “A Lot More Cillian Murphy”

The 28 Years Later saga is set to bring back one of its most important stars in a much bigger way.

When Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later hit theaters in 2002, it helped reshape the modern zombie movie. Rather than relying on the slow-moving undead that had become familiar to audiences, Boyle unleashed terrifyingly fast infected humans, bringing a new sense of urgency and intensity to the subgenre.

The movie also launched Cillian Murphy into a major film career. Over the years, Murphy went on to work with Christopher Nolan on Batman Begins, Inception, and Oppenheimer, the latter earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Now, despite becoming one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors, Murphy is returning to the franchise that helped put him on the map.

Murphy made a brief appearance in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but according to Boyle, fans can expect to see much more of his character, Jim, in the planned third installment.

Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival, Boyle confirmed that 28 Years Later 3 is still moving forward, although a production timeline has yet to be announced.

“28 Years 3, or whatever it ends up being called, will get made because people keep asking about it,” Boyle said, according to Variety. “Quite when I’m not sure, but there’s a script – a very good script by Alex Garland.”

Boyle also joked about Murphy’s memorable nude scene in 28 Days Later, teasing that the third movie will feature “a lot of Cillian Murphy in it.”

“Whether he’ll take his kit off anymore, that I don’t know. He’s got the Oscar now,” Boyle joked.

The news comes as the future of the franchise remains somewhat uncertain.

28 Years Later arrived in 2025 and earned strong reviews while bringing in $151.3 million worldwide against a reported $60 million budget. The sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, followed less than a year later after being filmed back-to-back with the first movie, this time with Nia DaCosta directing.

The Bone Temple was even more successful with critics, earning a 91% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming one of the better-reviewed horror movies of 2026. However, its critical success did not translate into similar box-office numbers, with the sequel earning just $58.5 million worldwide.

Despite the significant drop in box-office performance, Boyle and Garland appear to be keeping their plans for the trilogy’s conclusion alive. With Murphy expected to have a substantially larger role, 28 Years Later 3 could bring Jim back to the center of the story.

There’s currently no release date or production start date for 28 Years Later 3.

Are you excited to see more of Cillian Murphy in the next 28 Years Later movie? Let us know in the comments.