28 Years Later director Danny Boyle has explained why the threequel ignores one of the biggest reveals from 28 Weeks Later.
Set for release on 20 June, 28 Years Later, which is intended as the first film in a new trilogy, stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell.
In 2007 film 28 Weeks Later, it was revealed that some people had natural immunity to the deadly ‘Rage Virus’.
Speaking to Collider, Boyle said that the third film in the franchise will not explore the idea of immunity.
Asked why they chose not to follow on from this reveal, Boyle said: “We decided to base this trilogy being inspired by the first film. Not just in terms of character, as the Cillian Murphy character eventually appears, but also in terms of the definition of the virus, its behaviour, and reactions to it.”
Related: 28 Days Later gets new UK streaming home ahead of 28 Years Later release
In the cliffhanger ending to 28 Weeks Later, it was revealed that the Rage Virus had spread to mainland Europe.
On why the third instalment acts like more of a sequel to 28 Days Later rather than a direct follow-up to 28 Weeks Later, Boyle said: “What was unique about the first film and was the best choice we ever made about it was that it featured entirely British.”
He continued: “It was just that land. And it was extraordinary thinking about something that powerful breaking out in that particular space, and it had to be dealt with by the inhabitants of that land.
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“And we decided to concentrate on that. There’s nothing wrong with 28 Weeks Later. We just decided not to follow those story elements. And it’s a bold choice we decided to declare up front by saying the Rage Virus was driven back from mainland Europe.”
Previously speaking about the decision to ignore the cliffhanger ending, 28 Years Later writer Alex Garland said that the word canon is “not a very Danny Boyle word”.
28 Years Later is released in cinemas on 20 June 2025.
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
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