British stars confirmed for ’28 Years Later’
In 28 Years Later, the highly anticipated sequel to the classic zombie horror 28 Days Later, director Danny Boyle will reunite with writer Alex Garland. The movie, which stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes, marks the return of the creative duo behind the original 2002 blockbuster as well as 2000’s The Beach.
Boyle and Garland also served as executive producers on the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later but otherwise took a back seat, allowing Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to take the director’s chair. 28 Years Later is reportedly the first in a planned trilogy of sequels, with Candyman director Nia DiCosta reportedly in talks to helm the second instalment.
While plot details for the sequels remain under wraps, the team has a generous budget of $75million per movie, putting the $8million budget for 28 Days Later very much in the shade. The addition of acclaimed actors like Comer, Taylor-Johnson, and Fiennes adds further excitement to the project, promising a well-conveyed update on the classic genre that started with George A. Romero’s classic 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead.
28 Days Later is credited with renewing the genre for the 21st century by depicting fast-moving zombies with shockingly realistic makeup. The visceral update inspired a renaissance of sorts that welcomed subsequent masterworks like the 2004 dark comedy Shaun of the Dead and AMC’s celebrated series The Walking Dead.
Cillian Murphy, who portrayed the lead role in 28 Days Later, is set to return as an executive producer in 28 Years Later, offering his expertise and insight from behind the camera this time. Back in March, the Irish actor won the ‘Best Actor’ Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards for his incendiary portrayal of the titular character in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Murphy is also set to return to his beloved role as Thomas Shelby in the Peaky Blinders saga. Although Steven Knight’s historical drama series is now concluded, the surviving cast is set to return for a feature-length movie.
Discussing the forthcoming movie with BirminghamWorld in March, Knight revealed that Murphy is “definitely” returning to Peaky Blinders. “We’re shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth,” he added.
The screenwriter and director continued to congratulate the actor for his recent Academy Award win, deeming it “so deserved”. Concluding, he described Murphy as “brilliant” and a star who deserves “everything he gets”.
Watch the trailer for 28 Days Later below.