Forget Cillian Murphy's Jim (for now anyway), as horror sequel 28 Years Later has just introduced us to a new bunch of apocalypse survivors. With the release of already-filmed follow-up 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple on the horizon, and the promise or a third film after that, we're set to spend a lot of time with them going forward – and we can hardly wait to see what's in store for them.
Written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later follows 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who sets out on a dangerous mission on the British Isles' infected-infested mainland with the hopes of saving his ailing mother (Jodie Comer). Nia DaCosta (The Marvels, Candyman) will helm the second chapter, which filmed concurrently with is predecessor.
Below, we break down all we know about 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, from its release date and cast to plot speculation and sequel hopes. Be warned, though, it contains major spoilers for 28 Years Later! All good? Okay, let's dive right in...
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple release date
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is scheduled to land in theaters on January 16, 2026, just over 28 weeks after the release of 28 Years Later. The follow-up was filmed back-to-back with its predecessor, wrapping principal photography in October 2024.
Outside of leaving time for editing and VFX work, it makes sense that Bone Temple won't come out until then. It's understandable that Sony Pictures will want to give the first film some breathing room before satiating zombie horror fans with another installment.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple trailer
Since 28 Years Later has only just come out, it's hardly surprising that we've not had any trailers for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple yet. It seems safe to assume that Sony Pictures will want to capitalize and build on genre fan's excitement for the first installment, though, so we imagine it won't be long until we're treated to a first look.
Sony Pictures tends to hype up its upcoming wares at New York Comic-Con over San Diego Comic-Con, so perhaps we'll get some exciting footage in mid-October time? We'll be sure to keep you posted!
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple cast
So far, only a couple of cast members have been confirmed for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (so as to avoid spoiling its predecessor, presumably), but we can make an educated guess as to who'll feature in the follow-up given which characters are still alive and kicking at the end of 28 Years Later.
Sadly, that doesn't include Edvin Ryding's Swedish soldier Erik Sundqvist, who had his head ripped off by an infected Alpha, and Jodie Comer's Isla, who was voluntarily euthanized by Ralph Fiennes' Dr. Kelson after she found out that her cancer would probably kill her "soon".
Erik and Isla aside, here's who we're pretty sure will be in 28 Years Later...
- Alfie Williams as Spike
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie
- Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson
- Jack O'Connell as Sir Jimmy Crystal
- Erin Kellyman as Jimmy Ink
- Emma Laird as Jimmima
- Chi Lewis-Parry as 'the Alpha'
It's also expected that Cillian Murphy will be back as bicycle courier Jim, his character from the 2002 original. The actor was spotted filming a few scenes in Ennerdale, Cumbria back in September 2024, which suggests that Jim and fellow survivors Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns) were unsuccessfully in flagging down the plane they spotted at the end of 28 Days Later – and that they've been shacked up in the Lake District ever since. Just how much he'll feature in the second chapter, though, remains a mystery. If Danny Boyle's recent comments to Indiewire are anything to go by, it won't be until the proposed third film that we really get to reunite with him...
"I think [we] probably [had some] regrets about threatening Europe with it, in terms of story development, that meant it could only go one way," he says, referencing 28 Weeks Later (2007). "So, the idea was to retrench, and that allowed us to make weirdly a much bigger film, more mythic. And it spread across three films, and two of which we've shot, all of which connect characters ultimately, which is how Cillian eventually appears.
"It doesn't take a genius to work out there's going to be a big role for Cillian Murphy in [the third film]," he added. "Yeah, a significant role. All I can say, because I know the idea of the story, which has been mapped out, it is clever. It is a very smart use of him."
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple plot
28 Years Later ends with Spike choosing not to return to Holy Island and reunite with his father, Jamie. Following the death of his mother, Isla, the youngster does walk the causeway one final time, though; to deliver an infected's non-infected baby to his former community. He leaves the infant wrapped up inside a shopping basket on the front gates, with a note to his dad that explains he's not ready to come home just yet.
As Jamie reads the letter back on the island, the film cuts between shots of Jamie frying some fish on a makeshift fire. Soon, his dinner is interrupted by a handful of infected and while he manages to kill a couple and run off, a dead-end puts him at risk of being chomped. It's in that moment that Jack O'Connell's blonde-bobbed, silky tracksuit-wearing Jimmy makes his debut.
Jimmy has his crew, who are all bizarrely dressed up to look just like him, dispatch the remaining zombies with ninja-style moves before introducing himself to Spike. Turns out, he's the vicar's son that managed to escape a horde of infected in the film's prologue... With that, the film cuts to black.
In the aforementioned interview, Boyle revealed that Jimmy will be "a huge character" in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. As will Fiennes' Dr. Kelson and Spike, too, obviously. We were introduced to the titular 'Bone Temple' in 28 Years Later, which its creator Dr. Kelson described it as a highly spiritual memorial ground, though it's unclear for now as to how it'll steer the sequel's story.
We don't know much else about the plot just yet, though we do know it'll be... kind of weird. "I was able to let my freak flag fly. While it's very much informed by 28 Days Later, the script for The Bone Temple is very different," director Nia DaCosta previously teased at CinemaCon 2025.
We'll be sure to add more details as they're released, so keep your eyes peeled!
Will there be a sequel to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?
If Danny Boyle has any say in it, yes, there will a sequel to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, capping off the new trilogy in the long-running franchise.
"I still love an apocalypse, British-style. I still love the infected. And I still love blowing shit up," the Oscar winner said back in April, as he went on to reveal that he's still trying to sort financing for his planned trilogy capper. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he explicitly encouraged people to go support 28 Years Later, and already-filmed second installment 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, in cinemas at CinemaCon, so that Sony or another studio would greenlight the third flick.
For more, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time, or our guide to some of the other upcoming horror movies heading our way.
