When 28 Years Later earned positive reviews and grossed $151.3 million at the worldwide box office, Danny Boyle and Co. seemed smart to have the foresight to plan a full trilogy of new films set in the 28 Days Later universe. Sony was so confident in the plan that the studio reportedly gave the third movie the green light before this year’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple even opened in theaters. The belief was the strong word of mouth would fuel another impressive box office run, but that didn’t happen. The Bone Temple bombed in theaters, earning just $58.5 million globally. That cast doubt on the third installment, but it looks like that project is still on track.
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On Instagram, actor Alfie Williams, who played Spike in the first two 28 Years Later movies, shared pictures of his archery training. The caption reads “It’s Great to be Back,” and many of the commenters take this as a sign that Williams is preparing to shoot 28 Years Later 3. Check out the post in the space below:
Will 28 Years Later 3 Still Happen?
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ends with a cliffhanger that’s clearly setting up the story for the third movie. Of course, just because a project is planned doesn’t mean it’s actually going to happen. At the end of the day, the film industry is still a business, meaning if a studio feels a movie isn’t worth the investment, they’re within their right to pull the plug. With The Bone Temple marking such diminishing returns when compared to its predecessor, it could prove difficult to convince the higher-ups to move forward with the third movie. For as much as fans want to see the full story be properly resolved, the studio also wants to make its money back.
It is important to point out that 28 Years Later 3 does not have an official release date as of this writing. Last month’s CinemaCon came and went without any tease or confirmation of a window (or even a possible production timeline), so fans are still in a place where they’ll have to wait and see. That said, it’s encouraging to see Williams is once again practicing with his bow and arrow. He doesn’t specifically mention 28 Years Later 3 in his post, but it’s reasonable to assume the archery training is related to the horror sequel. For those who were worried that 28 Years Later 3 had been cancelled, this’ll come as some relief.
Assuming 28 Years Later 3 does actually happen, it’ll be interesting to see how Sony handles it from a business perspective. One thing the studio could look into is reducing the production budget, which would ensure the third film has a more attainable break-even point. The Bone Temple was made for a fairly reasonable $63 million, but after it grossed below that figure, Sony may look to cut costs where it can. In order to get the film off the ground, there may need to be some compromise between the filmmakers and the executives. Even James Cameron is looking into ways to lower the budgets for the next Avatar movies, so it wouldn’t be a shock if 28 Years Later 3 had to scale back a bit.
While it looks like 28 Years Later 3 is still a go (and that should be the thought process until there are reports stating the film’s been scrapped), fans might be in for a wait before they get a chance to see it. Cillian Murphy is currently busy filming A Quiet Place Part III, which is due in theaters in 2027. He probably wouldn’t be free to shoot the next 28 Years Later until later this year at the earliest — and that’s assuming the script and all of the logistics come together quickly. It’ll be frustrating to have to sit around and wait for the final chapter, but that could end up benefiting 28 Years Later 3 in the long run, giving people time to miss the franchise before it returns again.
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