28 Years Later 3: Release date speculation and news for final chapter

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*Warning – contains full spoilers for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.*

The highly anticipated sequel to 2002’s 28 Days Later, titled 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is now playing in theaters. Director Nia DaCosta delivers a new, thrilling, and terrifying installment in the series.

The latest film continues the story immediately after “28 Years Later,” and after a suspenseful and revealing adventure, it concludes with a major cliffhanger. Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Jim in this installment.

Viewers are likely curious about Jim’s role going forward, if Spike will make it back, and how the story will end. Let’s recap what’s been revealed so far.

Here’s a complete guide to the next installment in the 28 Years Later series.

Has 28 Years Later 3 been confirmed?

It appears a third ’28 Years Later’ movie is happening. Although Sony hasn’t officially announced it, Deadline reported in December 2025 that the studio is moving forward with the final film in the series, and Alex Garland is writing the screenplay.

I’m so excited to hear rumors that Cillian Murphy might be back as Jim! Plus, it sounds like Danny Boyle, who directed the original 28 Days Later and the recent 28 Years Later, is likely to direct again, which is fantastic news. He really understands that world.

When will 28 Years Later 3 be released?

The release date for 28 Years Later 3 hasn’t been announced yet. Sony hasn’t officially confirmed the movie or added it to their schedule.

I’m so excited to hear Danny Boyle is actually writing the script now! Knowing how the team loves to keep things moving, I’m hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the next film. It’ll probably still be a bit of a wait, though – definitely longer than it was between ’28 Years Later’ and ‘The Bone Temple’, since they filmed those two back-to-back.

A release in 2028 seems plausible, but right now it’s just a guess. We’ll need to wait for an official announcement to know for sure.

What will 28 Years Later 3 be about?

While the plot of the next 28 Years Later movie isn’t confirmed, the ending of The Bone Temple gives us some clues about what might happen.

The film concluded with a scene of Cillian Murphy’s character, Jim, raising a daughter. It’s unknown if Naomi Harris’s character, Selena – who had a connection with Jim in the previous film and might be the mother of his child – will reappear, or if she died sometime in the years since.

Jim and his daughter will likely return, continuing their efforts to rescue Spike and Kelly from the attacking infected.

We can probably expect to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character, Jamie, and the people living on Holy Island appear in the story, as they weren’t featured in The Bone Temple. Plus, Samson – or the original Alpha who was infected – will likely be a key player.

He was healed by Dr. Kelson at The Bone Temple, just before Kelson died. If he can recall how Kelson did it, and share that information with other survivors, they might be able to develop a more effective and widely available cure.

It’s still uncertain if this will happen, but it could be a key part of the story in the next movie.

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Who will return to star in 28 Years Later 3?

Cillian Murphy is confirmed to return as Jim in the third movie, which isn’t surprising given his quick appearance at the end of The Bone Temple.

The next movie should feature the return of both Alfie Williams as Spike, the main character throughout the trilogy, and Erin Kellyman as Kelly, who was last seen journeying with him.

Chi Lewis-Parry’s Samson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Jamie also seem like likely figures to return.

Right now, this is just our best guess, but here’s who we think will return from the 28 Years Later movies for the next film:

  • Alfie Williams as Spike
  • Cillian Murphy as Jim
  • Erin Kellyman as Kelly
  • Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson
  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie

Is there a trailer for 28 Years Later 3?

A trailer for the third 28 Years Later movie isn’t out yet because filming hasn’t begun. We’ll add it as soon as it’s released! In the meantime, you can revisit the trailer for the second film, The Bone Temple, here:

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at the international production company Fremantle. He has a BA degree in English and Theatre Studies and a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-01-14 21:11