One of many yr’s greatest surprises for me, thus far, is seeing 28 Years Later not solely surpass its acclaimed unique predecessor, 28 Days Later, however prime a lot of the competitors on the 2025 films schedule in my e-book. Thus, I’m so strongly trying ahead to the following follow-up, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, that I may rage out.
The most recent installment of the franchise set in a world affected by a terrifying virus is a viscerally horrifying, splendidly acted, and emotionally heartwrenching expertise not like any “zombie” film I’ve ever seen, and I can not wait to return to this outstanding world within the sequel, which is, fortunately, not an excessive amount of of a wait away. Study when The Bone Temple hits theaters, and extra about this upcoming horror film, beneath.
What Is The 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Launch Date?
In a yr stuffed with extremely anticipated horror flicks, one of many style’s first main releases on the upcoming 2026 films schedule is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is ready to return out on January 16, 2026. Films launched in January, particularly of the horror selection, are likely to get a nasty rap, however it’s a becoming launch date when you think about that the sequel is raging into theaters 28 weeks after 28 Years Later… nicely, plus two extra weeks, truly, but it surely’s shut sufficient.
What Is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple About?
Very like its predecessor within the time main as much as its launch, plot particulars relating to The Bone Temple are being saved principally below wraps in the intervening time. One factor we are able to say for certain is that it’s a continuation of the occasions of 28 Years Later, which itself is a unfastened continuation of the basic horror film from 2002, 28 Days Later, and its 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later, which is underrated for my part.
We will additionally infer, based mostly on what its creators have revealed in interviews and from the open-ended 28 Years Later ending, that the movie will proceed to comply with the adventures of younger Spike after his encounter with Jimmy and his blonde, jump-suited crew on the British Isle, which is likely one of the final locations on Earth overrun with these contaminated by The Rage Virus. Based mostly on the title, it seems that we’ll even be seeing extra of Dr. Kelson and his residence, constructed from the stays of those that have died over the past three a long time. Sony CEO Tom Rothman additionally advised THR that The Bone Temple is “rather more about man’s inhumanity to man,” which I believe is already a standard theme in lots of the finest zombie films (and TV exhibits), however makes me no much less all in favour of what the story will supply.
The 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Forged
The subsequent installment of the 28 franchise, as I’ve determined to start out calling it, will characteristic just a few returning members from the earlier movie, in addition to one esteemed veteran from the basic that began all of it. Take a deeper take a look at the confirmed members of the 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple solid.
Alfie Williams (Spike)
Alfie Williams, who beforehand appeared on HBO’s His Darkish Supplies and the 2023 crime drama A New Breed of Felony, offers a shocking breakthrough lead efficiency in 28 Years Later as 12-year-old Spike, who solely is aware of the post-Rage Virus world, having grown up within the indefinitely quarantined British Isles. The English teen is reprising the function in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Aaron Taylor-Johsnon (Jamie)
Regardless of being one of many greatest names within the 28 Years Later solid, having starred in a few the Marvel films so as as Quicksilver, amongst different blockbusters, Aaron Taylor-Johnson had a surprisingly small quantity of screentime as Spike’s father, Jamie. We’re sure to see extra of the Contaminated hunter in The Bone Temple, which could doubtless see him venturing into the Mainland to search out his now estranged son, when the function is reprised by the Golden Globe winner, who can also be set to star in Werwulf, which reunites him with Nosferatu director Robert Eggers.
Jack O’Connell (Jimmy)
Jack O’Connell stunned audiences, and myself, along with his cameo on the finish of 28 Years Later as Jimmy, who leads a crew of highly-skilled Contaminated hunters who’ve, apparently, modeled their appearances after British TV presenter Jimmy Savile, who’s a disgraced sexual predator in our universe. We are going to study extra about this irreverent character when the Irish actor, who additionally offers a stellar efficiency as a vicious vampire chief in Sinners, reprises him in The Bone Temple.
Ralph Fiennes (Dr. Ian Kelson)
I used to be additionally stunned by Ralph Fiennes’ function in 28 Years Later because the kindly Dr. Ian Kelson, who I anticipated to be a extra antagonistic presence given how the movie initially depicts his backstory and the way his most iconic roles are villains, together with sadistic Nazi Amon Goeth in Schindler’s Record and Voldemort from the Harry Potter films. The English Oscar nominee’s character is one I’m most trying ahead to seeing return in The Bone Temple.
Chi Lewis-Parry (Samson)
I think about there are additionally many trying ahead to seeing extra of Chi Lewis-Parry, who wore a prosthtetic penis to play the hulking Alpha Contaminated Dr. Kelson calls Samson, who’s the most recent in a convention of personfied “zombie” characters like the actual hero from Day of the Lifeless, Bub. The English actor had beforehand labored with Taylor-Johnson as a stunt performer in Kraven the Hunter and was additionally seen in Gladiator II as Phoebus.
Cillian Murphy (Jim)
The one Bone Temple solid member I and plenty of others are most excited to see is Cillian Murphy, reprising his function as Jim, whom many assumed was in 28 Years Later because of a shot within the trailer of an Contaminated who occurs to bear a hanging resemblance to him. The hero of 28 Days Later was the Irish actor’s breakthrough function earlier than he performed Batman villain The Scarecrow within the Darkish Knight Trilogy, led the hit interval crime drama Peaky Blinders, and received an Academy Award for the Finest Image Oscar winner, Oppenheimer.
Nia DaCosta Directs 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Greater than 20 years after helming 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle returned to the franchise to direct 28 Years Later, however he’s not on the helm of the following installment. Directorial duties for The Bone Temple got to Nia DaCosta, who cited the 2002 unique as a movie she watched on repeat as a teen at CinemaCon, in response to ScreenRant.
After making her debut with 2018’s Little Woods, the filmmaker proved she had horror chops in 2021 along with her acclaimed Candyman requel earlier than helming 2023’s The Marvels. Boyle can also be nonetheless concerned with The Bone Temple as a producer together with Alex Garland, the author of Days and Years who returns to pen the following installment, as nicely.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Was Shot Again-To-Again With The Earlier Movie
The period of time between the releases of 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple, which is roughly half a yr, is likely one of the shortest gaps between sequels in current reminiscence. That’s as a result of they have been produced the identical means the latter two Again to the Future films have been shot: one after the opposite. Aaron Taylor-Johnson recalled to Josh Horowitz on the Comfortable Unhappy Confused podcast that each movies have been filmed back-to-back in 2024.
A Third 28 Years Later Installment Is In Growth
There will likely be extra to see from the world of the Rage Virus past 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, as this sequel is just the second in a deliberate trilogy. Nonetheless, I say “deliberate” as a result of the third movie, and fifth within the franchise general, has not been formally greenlit. As revealed in an interview with ScreenRant, Alex Garland intends to return as author with Danny Boyle directing as soon as the movie acquires the mandatory funding.
How To Watch The 28 Franchise So Far
It was solely as just lately as December 2024 when 28 Days Later lastly turned out there to stream after a number of years, throughout which homeowners of the unique DVD had the unique benefit of rewatching the basic from residence. Nonetheless, 28 Weeks Later has by no means been arduous to search out, at the moment out there with a Hulu subscription, and 28 Years Later might be pre-ordered to personal on digital and Blu-ray as we converse. Take a look at the total breakdown of learn how to watch the 28 Franchise thus far beneath:
Reflecting CinemaBlend’s Mike Reyes’ 28 Years Later assessment, I believe the movie was completely well worth the lengthy wait, and The Bone Temple merely can not come quickly sufficient for me.