28 Years Later 3 Gets the Green Light as Cillian Murphy Enters Talks to Return

Quick zombie-world check-in: Sony is moving ahead with a third 28 Years Later movie after early screenings of the second one, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, reportedly went over like gangbusters. Yes, those 'hoots and hollers' at AMC Century City apparently mattered.

So, is 28 Years Later 3 actually happening?

According to Deadline, Sony plans to make the third film following the charged reaction to The Bone Temple, which hits theaters on January 16, 2026. The studio has been sitting on an option for a full trilogy, but they were waiting to see how the second movie played before pulling the trigger on the finale. The third film does not have a title yet, but work has already started behind the scenes.

Who is making it?

Alex Garland, who co-created this film series with Danny Boyle and has been the franchise’s core writer, is said to be scripting the third entry. Boyle, who directed the first movie in this new trilogy, has been open about wanting to come back and direct the third one too.

I remember her saying, 'I am not going to make a Danny Boyle movie.' She was absolutely clear about that. And she has not. She has made her own movie, and it is very strong.

That is Boyle earlier this year, via The Hollywood Reporter, talking about how Nia DaCosta approached directing The Bone Temple. Translation: he is proud, she did not copy him, and the handoff worked.

Boyle has laid out a structure that is a little more interconnected than you might expect. Each movie is designed to stand on its own, but characters and story threads weave across all three. They shot the first two films back-to-back, partly because of schedules, partly because the story flows directly from one to the next. Boyle even describes an epilogue at the end of the first movie, 28 Years Later, that hands the baton to the second, The Bone Temple. One bit of straight talk from him is worth highlighting:

"We haven't got the money for the third one yet. It will depend how the first one does."

Translation: the creative team is ready, including Murphy, but the actual greenlight for part three hinges on how the first new film performs. The Bone Temple arriving to enthusiastic first reactions certainly does not hurt.

Who is coming back on screen?

Cillian Murphy, who returns to his 28 Days Later role in The Bone Temple, is in talks to come back yet again for the third film. No official casting beyond that, but the second movie’s ensemble includes Jack O'Connell, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, and more.

Where the story stands

The Bone Temple picks up after the events of the previous film and keeps digging into a world split between survivors and the infected. It is the middle chapter of this new trio: Boyle directed the first film, DaCosta took the reins for the second, and Boyle wants back in for the third if all the schedules and egos line up.

• The Bone Temple opens January 16, 2026
• Early AMC Century City screening drew loud crowd reactions
• Sony is now moving forward with the untitled 28 Years Later 3 (per Deadline)
• Alex Garland is writing the script
• Cillian Murphy is in talks to return after appearing in The Bone Temple
• Danny Boyle directed the first film of this new trilogy and wants to direct the third
• Boyle praised Nia DaCosta’s second film as her own strong vision (via THR)
• The Bone Temple cast includes Jack O'Connell, Ralph Fiennes, and Alfie Williams

For the record, this update first bubbled up through Devanshi Basu at SuperHeroHype before bouncing to the trades. Either way, the takeaway is simple: the sequel played, the crowd roared, and Sony said, cool, let’s finish the trilogy.