Danny Boyle Admits Temptation to Finish a ’28 Days Later’ Trilogy

Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle is admitting that he is very much interested in directing 28 Months Later to finish out the 28 Days Later trilogy. The third film is listed as pre-production on IMDB with writer Alex Garland actively working on the script.

Boyle directed the original film, 28 Days Later, which was released in 2002. The film starred Cillian Murphy and Christopher Eccelston, and it was a massive commercial success. With a budget of only $8 million, the horror flick went on to gross over $84 million.

The 2007 sequel, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, was another huge success for the studios, grossing over $65 million against a $15 million budget. However, it’s taken nearly 15 years for the studios to revisit the franchise.

Danny Boyle Is Interested in Directing 28 Months Later

So, will Danny Boyle direct 28 Months Later? The director admits he is very much interested in the project and adapting Alex Garland’s script for the big screen.

“I’d be very tempted (to direct it). It feels like a very good time actually. It’s funny. I hadn’t thought about it until you just said it, and I remembered ‘Bang, this script!’ which is again set in England, very much about England. Anyway, we’ll see… who knows?” Boyle reveals in an interview with NME.

The original film starred Cillian Murphy as bicycle courier Jim, a man who wakes from a coma to find London deserted after a viral infection decimates society, and Boyle knew that it would be a success immediately.

“I instantly knew the film was something very special. I remember reading the first ten pages of (Alex Garland’s script), thinking, ‘This is brilliant’.” Boyle recalls.

“It was like a quarter of a page. He wanders around London on his own and you just thought, ‘Oh my God!’,” Boyle, 66, continues. “What an amazing idea: a deserted London. It’s actually come to haunt us (since Covid). We complain how overcrowded (cities) are and about the stress, and then in an instant, life as we know it in many, many different forms can empty them.”

Cillian Murphy
Photo Credit: G Holland

Cillian Murphy Would Also Be Interested in 28 Days Later

Cillian Murphy is also revealing that he would love to star in a third film. However, the star notes one possible issue.

“I think there’s a problem with that, in that I’m 20 years older,” the Peaky Blinders star notes. “But every time I do bump into Danny or Alex I always mention it. Because I showed it to my kids recently, some Halloween about four or five years ago, and they loved it.”

“It really stands up, which is amazing for a film that’s 20 years old. So yeah, I love the idea and it’s very appealing to me.” Murphy adds.

Are you excited about 28 Months Later? What would you like to see with the third film in the series?

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