Following a recent round of early reactions, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is another imminent hit in the recently revived zombie franchise, and it appears Sony has not gone unnoticed. A new report confirms that a third 28 Years Later movie is in development at Sony, with writer Alex Garland returning to write the screenplay for the trilogy capper. The move is great news for fans and, thankfully, not too much of a surprise, given that the saga was always planned as a trilogy, with Danny Boyle‘s 28 Years Later from last year and Nia DaCosta‘s upcoming 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple shot back-to-back. While a sequel was expected to be greenlit after the first film debuted at the box office, early reactions to The Bone Temple have evidently given Sony the confidence to move forward with a third movie.

That’s not the only good news for 28 Years Later fans. Oscar-winner and Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy, who is also a producer for the first two 28 Years Later movies, is in talks to return to the franchise for the third 28 Years Later movie. While Murphy will reportedly appear in The Bone Temple, he has been with the franchise since the beginning, with Danny Boyle‘s first film in the saga, 28 Days Later. Murphy did not return for 28 Weeks Later and was not on-screen for 28 Years Later, so how his character, Jim, will factor into the 28 Years saga remains to be seen. It’s also unclear if his 28 Days Later co-star, Naomie Harris, will return. Meanwhile, Danny Boyle is expected to return as director for the third film, given his prior comments on the now-confirmed project.

What Is ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ About?

As the title implies, 28 Years Later picks up almost three decades after the Rage Virus broke out in Great Britain, transforming the European country into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, cut off and quarantined from the rest of the world. Such isolation makes it difficult for modern medical care, which is why a young boy named Spike (Alfie Williams) takes his sick mother (Jodie Comer) through the zombie-infested world to find the elusive Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who may be the last living doctor left in the country. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will pick up right where 28 Years Later left off, with Dr. Kelson continuing his mission to study and connect with the infected tribes before he comes into conflict with the zombie-killing cult that Spike has now fallen in with, led by a particularly charismatic leader named Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell).

28 Years Later 3 does not currently have a release date, but 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple debuts in theaters on Friday, January 16, 2026. Meanwhile, the first 28 Years Later movie is available to stream on Netflix.

via Collider