Warning: SPOILERS ahead for 28 Years Later, now playing in theaters.28 Years Later is the newest installment in Danny Boyle’s acclaimed zombie franchise, picking up almost three decades after the outbreak of the Rage Virus from 28 Days Later. The sequel expands massively on this infected landscape, offering plenty of interesting context about how the world has evolved over these post-apocalyptic years. Thankfully, audiences won’t have to wait so long to find out what’s in store for these new characters, as the next movie is just around the corner.
28 Years Later includes several major reveals about this desolate world, and much of the film feels like a subtle exposition for the upcoming installments in this horror series. Boyle and writer Alex Garland do an excellent job of ensuring that it doesn’t solely feel like setup, focusing on the new characters’ journeys in a bold and meaningful way, but there’s also no avoiding how blatantly 28 Years Later‘s ending teases the story to come in the next movie. Thankfully, it won’t be too long before those plot teases are resolved.
28 Years Later’s Sequel, The Bone Temple, Comes Out January 2026
The Movie Is Just Seven Months Away
28 Years Later is the first entry in a planned trilogy of horror movies that will continue in January 2026 with The Bone Temple. Though few details have been announced regarding The Bone Temple‘s story, it’s safe to assume that the movie will pick up directly where 28 Years Later ends: with Spike (Alfie Williams) traveling through the mainland alongside the Jimmies Gang while his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) searches for him.
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Though Boyle is not directing The Bone Temple (that honor has been passed to Candyman‘s Nia DaCosta), the script was once again written by Garland. Meanwhile, much of 28 Years Later‘s cast will reprise their roles in The Bone Temple; Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jack O’Connell have all been confirmed to star in the sequel. Cillian Murphy will also make his long-awaited return as Jim, the protagonist of the original 28 Days Later.
How 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Is Releasing So Soon
The Crew Made The Most Of A Tight Filming Window
Thankfully, January 2026 is only seven months away, meaning audiences won’t have to wait much longer to find out what follows 28 Years Later‘s shocking ending. The reason for this quick turnaround is that both 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple were filmed at the same time, with Boyle immediately passing the torch to DaCosta and using the same actors and locations while they were available.
The two films were reportedly filmed around May 2024, with principal photography taking place around Northumberland in the North East of England. The shoots for 28 Years Later took over two months, and the filming for The Bone Temple commenced less than a month later.
28 Years Later Suggests The Sequel Will Be Very Different
The Film’s Ending Teases A Very Different Kind Of Sequel
The ending of 28 Years Later introduces the Jimmies Gang, a group of violent outlaws seemingly modeled after the notorious celebrity predator Jimmy Savile. Their arrival marks a huge shift in tone for the movie, smashing through the emotional fallout of Isla’s (Jodie Comer) death and Spike’s abandonment of the island with a bold, brutal action sequence soundtracked by heavy rock music.
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This jarring ending suggests that The Bone Temple is going to be very different from the first entry in this sequel trilogy, perhaps using the Jimmies Gang as a source of comedic relief and ditching the dark, gritty tone of this first movie. It’s unclear whether Jack O’Connell’s character is going to be a friend or foe to Spike, but he’s certainly going to have a large presence. Garland did an excellent job of subtly teasing the Jimmies in 28 Years Later, and it won’t be long before audiences learn the truth in The Bone Temple.