28 Years Later Sequel Release Date and Everything We Know

28 Years Later reignites the franchise with brutality and heartfelt emotions, but the film doesn’t conclude without setting up a sequel. Returning to the helm are director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who worked together on 2002’s 28 Days Later before leaving its follow-up, 28 Weeks Later (2007), for Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. 28 Years Later takes place nearly three decades after the onset of the Rage Virus outbreak in the United Kingdom, focusing on a group of people living on an isolated British island. One day, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes his 12-year-old son Spike (Alfie Williams) to the mainland for the first time to hunt infected, who have drastically evolved since the last movie. After a series of harrowing encounters in the post-apocalyptic world, Spike ventures back out with his ailing mother, Isla (Jodie Comer), in search of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a former medical professional said to have gone insane.

More of a franchise reboot than a true sequel to its predecessors, 28 Years Later takes a fascinating new direction that sustains the franchise’s unique balance of horror and humanity. Luckily, it has been confirmed that 28 Years Later will lead into a trilogy, so fans can rest assured that the film’s surprising ending will continue in another installment. The following information details everything there is to know about the 28 Years Later sequel, titled 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

WARNING: Spoilers for 28 Years Later

How Does 28 Years Later End & How Does it Set Up the Sequel?

In the third act of 28 Years Later, Spike and Isla meet Dr. Kelson on the mainland after taking possession of an infected woman’s healthy newborn baby, and watching their soldier companion Erik (Edvin Ryding) die after the dreaded Alpha “Samson” starts pursuing them. Spike and Ilsa discover Kelson’s temple, made of human skulls, meant to serve as a memorial to the dead. Dr. Kelson examines Isla and informs her that metastatic cancer is her likely ailment, implying that she doesn’t have long to live. Spike and Isla share some deeply poignant final moments together, before Dr. Kelson humanely ends her life. The next day, Spike and Dr. Kelson are attacked by the Alpha, after which Dr. Kelson suggests that Spike and the baby return home. Spike journeys back to the island, dropping off the infant before setting back out to learn more about the world he’s been isolated from. In the movie’s final moments, Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and a group of people wearing tracksuits enter and acrobatically slaughter a bunch of infected. Jimmy then tells Spike they’re going to be friends.

28 Years Later‘s final act delivers a satisfying emotional payoff and drops some big hints at where the story’s headed. It appears Spike will team-up with Jimmy and his gang (cult?)on the mainland. Viewers first meet Jimmy in 28 Years Later‘s opening sequence, in which a child version of the character survives a harrowing attack on his family by the infected, during the early days of the Rage Virus. Additionally, his name is carved into the torso of the upside-down corpse Spike and Jamie find during their outing. It’s clear there’s something menacing about Jimmy, beneath the campy facade.

Elsewhere, Jamie is left furious at his son’s abandonment of the island, while the baby born from an infected has now fallen into their care. Dr. Kelson still resides among his bones, and numerous evolutions of the infected continue to wander the mainland. All of these storylines could be revisited in the sequel, as both Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Ralph Fiennes are confirmed to return for the sequel.

What Is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple About?

As of now, official plot details for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple have been kept under wraps, but there are plenty of interesting plot threads to explore in the next installment. Jimmy is almost certainly a cult leader of some sort, as his associates are called different variations of Jimmy, and he seems to have left clues of his presence all throughout the mainland.

The Bone Temple will likely focus on Spike’s transformation into a true survivor among the infected. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Jamie and the baby at home in the aftermath of Isla’s death. Furthermore, The Bone Temple could introduce new types of infected creatures and potentially re-address the concept of immunity explored in 28 Weeks Later. That’s all speculation, though, so fans will have to wait a bit longer for more concrete story information.

Who’s Writing and Directing 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?

Garland will return to write 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but Boyle will not take the reins of the sequel. In his place, Nia DaCosta will direct The Bone Temple for her fifth feature-length film and second horror movie. DaCosta’s 2021 Candyman reimagining garnered tons of praise from horror fans, making her perfectly suited to take on the 28 Years Later follow-up. In addition to her knack for telling terrifying stories, DaCosta is highly capable of directing excellent human dramas, such as her 2018 directorial debut, Little Woods. Also enhanced by the action-packed superhero fare in 2023’s The Marvels, DaCosta’s filmography establishes her as an impressively well-rounded filmmaker.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple‘s Confirmed Cast

Taylor-Johnson, Fiennes, Williams, and O’Connell will all reprise their roles in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Emma Laird, Maura Bird, and Ghazi Al Ruffai are among those set to return as members of Jimmy’s cult. The biggest casting news revolves around Cillian Murphy’s return as Jim for the first time since 28 Days Later. It’s not known how much or in what way Jim will be involved in The Bone Temple, but his appearance should delight fans of the original film. It’s probable that more cast members will be announced as The Bone Temple‘s release date gets closer.

Has 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Started Filming Yet?

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has already completed filming and is now in the post-production phase. The two movies were filmed back-to-back, enabling 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple to release close to one another. The Bone Temple began shooting in August 2024, paving the way for a quick turnaround following the release of 28 Years Later in June 2025.

When Does 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Release in Theaters?

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is currently scheduled to open in theaters on January 16, 2026. Fortunately, audiences won’t even have to wait a year to see the sequel. Thanks to both movies being shot close together, The Bone Temple will be able to benefit from 28 Years Later‘s momentum. Movie fans are so used to waiting a year or longer between installments of major franchises, so The Bone Temple‘s release date comes as a pleasant surprise. 28 Years Later concludes with quite the exciting cliffhanger, thus viewers should be excited to watch The Bone Temple soon.

28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.

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