The dead long-awaited third installment in the Later franchise, 28 Years Later, is upon us, and it looks set to deliver the gripping continuation of the zombie apocalypse saga we hoped for. Directed by Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting), from a script he co-wrote with Alex Garland (Civil War, Annihilation), Sony Pictures Entertainment has released the film’s first trailer, offering a chilling glimpse into the post-apocalyptic world.
Filmed on an iPhone 15 Pro Max with specialized attachments, 28 Years Later is set in a grim England still ravaged by the “Rage Virus.” The trailer highlights a desolate, dystopian landscape reminiscent of medieval times, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s (Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter) heavily bearded character seen wandering the fields a la “The Last of Us” with a young boy in tow, both armed with bows and arrows.
The film stars Taylor-Johnson alongside Jodie Comer (The Bikeriders, The End We Start From), Erin Kellyman (“Top Boy”, “Willow”), and Ralph Fiennes (Conclave, Schindler’s List), with Jack O’Connell (Starred Up, Unbroken) appearing in a supporting role before reportedly taking the lead in one of the planned sequels.
The trailer also hints at the return of Cillian Murphy‘s (28 Days Later, Oppenheimer) character, Jim, though not in the way fans might expect. Now seemingly a zombie, Jim looms over Comer’s character, infected by the same virus that devastated the country two decades earlier.
Scheduled for release on June 20, 2025, 28 Years Later is the first part of a planned trilogy. The film is produced by Andrew MacDonald and Peter Rice, alongside Boyle and Garland, and is a Columbia Pictures production in collaboration with BFI, DNA Films, and Decibel Films.
