It's a long time coming, but the director and writer behind 2002’s hit zombie horror film 28 Days Later are joining forces yet again for at least one sequel, and possibly a trilogy.
THR reports that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland will reunite for 28 Years Later, which "is expected to hit studios, streamers and other potential buyers later this week."
The original movie was a massive success, and already spawned one less well-regarded follow-up in 2007's 28 Weeks Later. Boyle and Garland were only involved as executive producers on that project, so a lot of fans are sure to regard this new movie as the first true sequel.
Boyle is attached to direct the first installment, while Garland would write all three. The budget for each movie is said to be in the $75 million range.
The first film starred Cillian Murphy as a nameless man who wakes up from a coma after a bicycle accident to find England has been overrun by "The Infected." The virus turns its victims into raging killers, but unlike the usual "zombies," these creatures were able to move with frightening speed. The man then sets out to learn what's been going on, meeting survivors played Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson along the way, as well as a deranged army major played by Christopher Eccleston.
Plot details for 28 Years Later are still under wraps, but the timeframe would suggest that it will take place in a near-future setting, which means the movie might lean more towards sci-fi than straight-up horror.
There's no mention of the surviving characters (played by Murphy and Harris) returning, but we'd assume Boyle and Garland enlisting an entirely new cast would be the more likely route.
What do you make of this news? Are you excited for more 28 Days movies, or do you think too much time has passed? Check out the trailer for the original below, and be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place.
"A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma a month after, he finds his city all but deserted. On the run from the zombie-like victims of the Rage, Jim stumbles upon a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) and cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and joins them on a perilous journey to what he hopes will be safety."