28 Years Later is back for another jump-scare before its release on June 20th. A new trailer for the zombie sequel dropped in the early hours of Thursday morning, showing off more of the horrors that await in this post-apocalyptic timeline. The movie will pick up nearly three decades after the events of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, in a time when the “rage virus” has spread throughout the world and persisted for all this time. This franchise has some unique rules for its sci-fi elements, and it looks like we’ll get more background on how it all works in this new story. Along the way, we’ll see the gruesome world the zombies here have created.
Original series creators Alex Garland and Danny Boyle return for 28 Years Later as the writer and director, respectively. Original star Cillian Murphy returns as an executive producer. Early reports claimed that Murphy would reprise his role from the first film, but in January, producers said that Murphy wouldn’t appear on screen. However, fans suspect that there is some kind of secret behind Murphy’s participation that is being obscured for dramatic effect.
The story follows a group of survivors who have managed to stay alive by isolating themselves on a small island that is only connected to mainland England by a causeway that they can guard. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Jamie, a scavenger for the community whose wife Isla (Jodie Comer) is pregnant. They have a 12-year-old son name Spike (Alfie Williams), who seems to be ranging into the mainland with Jamie. The preview material also mentions a Swedish NATO soldier patrolling the area, and other survivors who may not be living on the island, including a cult leader named Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell).
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There are enough mysteries to consider with this story itself, but the sequel presents even more interesting possibilities. Back in December, Taylor-Johnson revealed that this movie was filmed back to back with its sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. This seems to confirm that Jamie survives the first film and appears in the second, and O’Connell’s talent agency has listed The Bone Temple on his online resume as well.
The movies filmed in England, and local reporters acquired photos from the set at the time which seemed to show Murphy in costume. This may have contributed to the confusion about his appearance in 28 Years Later — maybe his character won’t show up until The Bone Temple. If he was only working as a producer, he would not have needed a special effects wound visible on his shoulder.
We have two trailers for 28 Years Later now, but they’ve made the story seem more mysterious than ever. Hopefully, we won’t get any answers until the movie hits theaters on June 20th in the U.S. The Bone Temple is scheduled to premiere on January 16, 2026.
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