The streets of London look decidedly more dangerous in the newly released trailer for 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle's long-awaited sequel to his ground-breaking zombie horror franchise.
Columbia Pictures unleashed the second official preview today, giving fans their best look yet at the post-apocalyptic nightmare awaiting Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and an all-star British cast when the film hits cinemas on 20 June.
Boyle and writer Alex Garland – teaming up once more, for the first time since their 2002 original 28 Days Later – transport audiences back to a UK still ravaged by the rage virus nearly three decades after its outbreak.
The chilling official synopsis reveals survivors clinging to existence on a fortified island, until one fateful mission to the mainland uncovers horrifying new mutations among both the infected and remaining humans.
"I still love an apocalypse, British-style," Boyle told fans at last month's CinemaCon, where he cheekily promised explosive mayhem with typical understatement: "I still love the infected. And I still love blowing shit up."
The Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire director did however temper expectations about original star Cillian Murphy's involvement, teasing: "Like all good things in life, you may have to wait a little while for him to make his appearance."
Murphy serves as executive producer on what is planned as the last in a trilogy, with more spinoffs announced. The trailer showcases Killing Eve star Comer and Bullet Train's Taylor-Johnson leading a gritty ensemble including Jack O'Connell, newcomer Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes through desolate urban landscapes recognisably British in their bleakness.
Early footage suggests Boyle has maintained the original's documentary-style intensity while expanding the visual scale, with haunting shots of abandoned motorways and fortified London landmarks.
Nia DaCosta (Candyman), who will direct the already-announced next film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, joined Boyle at CinemaCon to promise her instalment would push boundaries even further.
"While it's very much informed by 28 Days Later, the script for The Bone Temple is very different," she said. "I was able to let my freak flag fly."
The original 28 Days Later - made for just £5 million - became a cultural phenomenon in 2002, pioneering the "fast zombie" trope and influencing everything from The Last of Us to World War Z.
Its sequel 28 Weeks Later (2007) was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, but Boyle and Garland's return has fans hopeful for a return to the franchise's raw, socially charged roots.
Poor Cillian Murphy 💀😭
— Say My Name (@Name__Error_404) December 10, 2024
28 Days Later vs 28 Years Later pic.twitter.com/DZFed2M9WB
According to the official synopsis provided by Sony Pictures, 28 Years Later is a “terrifying new story” set three decades after the first film. Human beings still live in an enforced quarantine to control the virus, with one group living on a small island connected to the mainland by a “heavily defended causeway”.
“When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well,” the synopsis reads.
With its combination of A-list British talent, visionary filmmakers and that unmistakable Boyle energy, 28 Years Later looks set to be one of the summer's most explosive cinematic events - some nightmares only get worse with time.
