Sony is moving full speed ahead with its 28 Days Later franchise revival. Following the release of 28 Years Later, summer 2025, the second installment in the newly planned trilogy, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will hit theaters on January 16, 2026. Directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman), the film will expand the universe of rage-virus survivors.
Before The Bone Temple arrives, audiences will get their first taste of the revamped franchise with 28 Years Later, set for release on June 20, 2025. In the upcoming film, “It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons lab. Quarantine remains brutally enforced, but some survivors have adapted to the harsh new world. A small group on a heavily fortified island ventures into the mainland, where they encounter horrifying mutations—not only among the infected but within humanity itself.”
DaCosta has reportedly wrapped filming on The Bone Temple, though plot details are being kept under wraps until 28 Years Later debuts. However, glimpses of a literal “bone temple” in the trailer for 28 Years Later suggest it will be a significant location for the second film.
The first trailer for 28 Years Later has already sparked excitement, becoming the second most-watched horror trailer globally, amassing over 60.2 million views. Only It Chapter Two ranks higher in this category. Based on these early metrics, Sony appears poised for success as they bet big on the revitalized franchise.
The franchise traces its origins back to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002), a groundbreaking horror film that redefined the zombie genre. Boyle, along with screenwriter Alex Garland, returns to the series as a producer, alongside Andrew Macdonald and Bernard Bellew. The original film, which starred Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris, depicted a world ravaged by a rage-inducing virus unleashed by well-meaning animal activists. Its sequel, 28 Weeks Later (2007), saw Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, and Robert Carlyle battling the aftermath.
Sony secured the rights to this next chapter, which brings back not only Boyle and Garland but also Murphy, who joins as an executive producer. 28 Years Later boasts a star-studded cast, including Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jack O’Connell. The new trilogy’s budgets are reported to be in the $75 million range, signaling Sony’s confidence in the series’ box office potential.
Meanwhile, in a nod to the franchise’s enduring appeal, 28 Days Later has been re-released on digital platforms, allowing new and longtime viewers to revisit the film that started it all.
Mark your calendars: 28 Years Later lands in theaters on June 20, 2025, followed by Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple on January 16, 2026. Stay tuned for more updates as this infection-fueled saga unfolds.