Exactly How Much Cillian Murphy You’ll See in 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple

If you were hoping 28 Years Later would secretly be a Cillian Murphy comeback vehicle, temper expectations. He is in the next one, but by his own account, it is small. Still, there is a lot happening with this new trilogy, and some of it is genuinely interesting inside-baseball stuff.

Where the trilogy stands

• 28 Years Later hit theaters at the end of June as the long-awaited follow-up to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's 28 Days Later. It is the first entry in a planned trilogy of sequels.
• Part II is titled 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple and is scheduled for January 16, 2026.
• Boyle directed 28 Years Later, then handed the sequel to Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels). Garland wrote the screenplay for the first film and the sequels that follow.
• Sony is backing theatrical releases for each chapter. Budgets are in the $60 million neighborhood; 28 Years Later reportedly cost $75 million.
• Producers on 28 Years Later include Boyle, Garland, Bernie Bellew, original 28 Days Later producer Andrew Macdonald, and Peter Rice — who, fun bit of industry trivia, ran Fox Searchlight when that company backed 28 Days Later. Cillian Murphy received an executive producer credit.

Murphy in Part II: blink-and-you-miss-it

Murphy sat out 28 Years Later on screen, but he will show up in The Bone Temple. How much? He says just a tiny bit. Speaking to Variety, he kept it vague but positive about DaCosta's film and his role in it:

"I cannot. But I will say that I think Nia DaCosta has made an extraordinary film, and it's an amazing accompaniment to Danny's movie. I'm only in it a tiny bit, but I'm really proud of it."

Worth noting: some fans swear they spotted Murphy as a gaunt, possibly infected figure in the 28 Years Later trailer. When pressed on that, he joked that he is more than just a semi-naked infected guy — though he added it's in the eye of the beholder. Classic non-answer, which probably means cameo-plus, not co-lead.

How the first film performed

28 Years Later has pulled in $150 million worldwide so far. Solid number, but the vibe has been that it did not fully click with audiences the way the original did. Reviews have been decent-not-great: JoBlo's Chris Bumbray gave it a 7/10, and Kier Gomes came in at 6.5/10. If you're a purist still arguing these are not zombies but infected people, yes, the movie knows who you are.

What happens next

Boyle may come back to direct Part III, but that chapter does not have a full greenlight yet. Realistically, the box office for The Bone Temple will decide whether the finale moves forward as planned.