Director Danny Boyle and Alex Garland team up for third installment to their hit zombie franchise 28 Days Later

Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are teaming up again to create a third installment of their hit zombie franchise, which started with their 2002 film 28 Days Later.

Fans of the post-apocalyptic horror film, directed by Boyle and written by Garland, can expect “a new zombie thriller expected to hit studios, streamers and other potential buyers later this week,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The outlet claims that William Morris Agency (WMA), representing Boyle and Garland, “will pull the package out and handle the sale.”

In 2007, the duo served as executive producers on a sequel to 28 Days Later, called 28 Weeks Later.

Now Boyle and Garland are reportedly working on launching a new trilogy.

While Boyle is already “attached to direct the first installment,” Garland would write “all three” films, which would cost “in the neighborhood of $75 million.”

Both would produce, along with original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice.

In 28 Days, Cillian Murphy, who won a major award at the 2024 Golden Globes this weekend for his role in Oppenheimer, plays a man who awakens from a coma to find a deserted Britain devastated by a highly contagious virus.

In November 2022, Boyle teased that he had finished writing a script for 28 Months Later.

Speak with NME To mark the film’s 20th anniversary, Danny told how screenwriter Alex Garland had completed a script for the third film, and the director hoped it would become a reality.

He said: ‘I would be very tempted (to direct it). It actually feels like a really nice time.

“It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about it until you just said it, and I remembered, ‘Bang, this script!’ which is again set in England, very much about England. Anyway, we’ll see…who knows?’

Highly anticipated: Fans of the post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Boyle and written by Garland can expect “a new zombie thriller expected to hit studios, streamers and other potential buyers later this week,” according to The Hollywood Reporter

The original film, released in 2002, was followed by 28 Weeks Later in 2007, which followed a US-led NATO force attempting to create a safe zone in London.

Boyle talked about how it has become more difficult to get a theatrical release for films due to the popularity of streaming, which has prevented him from making another film.

He said: ‘It could come back into focus because one of the things that’s happening in the industry at the moment is that it has to be a major reason for you to go to the cinema because there are fewer and fewer reasons.

“It’s hard for movie distribution companies and movie theater chains to show movies, they have a hard time getting people to the theaters unless it’s something like Top Gun: Maverick or a Marvel.

The outlet claims that William Morris Agency (WMA), which represents Boyle and Garland, will “take the package out and handle the sale.”

Third Episode: In 2007, the duo served as executive producers on a sequel to 28 Days Later called 28 Weeks Later

Boyle previously hinted at the future of the franchise in 2019 when he revealed that the script for the third film had impressed him.

He told The independent: ‘It’s pretty good. The original film led to a revival of the zombie drama and makes no reference to it. It doesn’t feel stale at all.’

The original film – which also starred Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson – grossed $85.7 million on an $8 million budget.

The sequel – starring Robert Carlyle, Idris Elba and Rose Byrne – earned $65.8 million on a $15 million budget.