28 Years Later Adds Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes

Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later trilogy just got a major update. On Wednesday, it was announced that Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have all been cast in the first film in the trilogy (via Deadline). The film is set to be a follow up to 2002’s 28 Days Later. No specific details about the roles each of the actors will be playing was revealed at this time and no details about the film’s plot have been released at this time either. Boyle is set to direct the first film on a script from Alex Garland with Sony releasing the film theatrically.

This is the second big piece of news about the 28 Years Later trilogy in recent weeks. Earlier this month it was reported that Candyman director Nia DaCosta was in talks to direct the second film in the trilogy with that film, also written by Garland, expected to film immediately after the first. DaCosta served as the filmmaker for Universal’s 2021 Candyman follow up as well as directed and co-wrote The Marvels. As for the casting news, Comer is best known for her role on Killing Eve and will next be seen in The Bikeriders. Taylor-Johnson will next be seen in The Fall Guy as well as the upcoming Kraven the Hunter. Fiennes is currently completing an international stage run of Macbeth and will appear in two films this fall, Conclave and The Return.

What Do We Know About 28 Years Later?

At this time, details about 28 Years Later are few. The new trilogy was announced earlier this year with Sony winning the bidding war for the rights to the films which are set to be a follow up to 2002’s 28 Days Later. Boyle and Garland are set to produce along with original producer Andrew Macdonald and former head of Fox Searchlight Pictures Peter Rice. Cillian Murphy, who starred in 28 Days Later, is set to return this time as an executive producer, though the actor has previously indicated that he would never rule out returning in another capacity.

What Is 28 Days Later About?

28 Days Later is a British post-apocalyptic horror film that follows Jim (Cillian Murphy), a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma only to find that the accidental release of a highly contagious and aggression-inducing virus has caused a total breakdown of society. The film also starred Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson. 28 Days Later was very well received by both critics and audiences alike and is credited for revitalizing the zombie horror genre. Numerous films with zombie themes followed, each of them showcasing zombies as something a bit more agile and terrifying than the previous depictions of slow, trudging, cumbersome creatures.

The film also got a sequel in 2007 with 28 Weeks Later, with that film set after the events of the first film, following efforts to create a safe zone in London after two young siblings break protocol to find a photograph of their mother and end up reintroducing the Rage Virus to the safe zone in the process. That film starred Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Idris Elba, and others. It was also both a critical and commercial success.

Keep checking back with ComicBook.com for updates about 28 Years Later.