28 Years Later: The Bone Temple—Release Date, Cast Surprises, Plot Leaks & Murphy’s Shocking Return

by

**WARNING: Contains spoilers for 28 Years Later**

If you’ve watched “28 Days Later” since its premiere in UK theaters a week ago, it’s quite possible that the movie’s controversial ending has stirred up some intense opinions from you, for better or worse.

Towards the end of the movie, there’s an unexpected shift as we meet a new character named Jimmy, portrayed by Jack O’Connell. We had briefly seen him as a child in the first scene, which depicted the start of the Rage Virus outbreak.

Jimmy, seeming to model himself after Jimmy Savile, seems poised to take a significant role in the upcoming sequel titled “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

Regardless of your feelings towards his controversial scene in the latest movie, there’s no disputing that it leaves us eagerly anticipating the sequel – a production where Nia DaCosta (from The Marvels) will be stepping into Danny Boyle’s director’s shoes.

In contrast to what is typically anticipated, fans won’t have to wait as long for the next installment since it was made simultaneously with “28 Years Later.

In light of this, when can we expect the movie “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” to hit UK theaters, and who from the original cast will rejoin the production? Here’s what we currently know about the project.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple release date

For movie enthusiasts, it’s now clear as day – regardless of any unexpected alterations – we’ve got the definite date for when the movie hits the big screen. And

The movie is set to debut on Friday, 16th January 2026, meaning it’s less than six months away. Does that give us enough time to reflect on the ending of 28 Years Later? Certainly!

Where things get a little more complicated is when it comes to the third film in the trilogy.

In the current plans for a trilogy, The Bone Temple serves as the second installment. So far, Alex Garland has written the last film in the series, and Danny Boyle expresses his desire to resume directing. However, Sony hasn’t officially approved the production of the third movie at this point.

Sponsored by Vue

Save up to 30% on the latest releases at Vue in 2025

Currently, there’s an exciting wave of new movies captivating UK theaters, including sensations like Wicked, Nosferatu, The Brutalist, and the anticipated sequel, Moana 2.

Save up to 30% with Vue Pass

Instead, the outcome hinges on the success of the initial two movies at the box office. Fortunately, the first movie has had a robust beginning in its opening week, which is promising, but we’ll stay attentive for any updates from the officials.

If the confirmation comes through, it’s clear that maintaining the same speed of release for the third movie might prove challenging since it hasn’t been filmed yet. However, we can only hope the delay between releases won’t be excessive.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple cast

In the upcoming sequel of the fresh trilogy, the lead character will again be played by the talented child actor Alfie Williams – a young performer who received acclaim not only from viewers but also from critics following his first appearance as Spike in his initial movie role.

Apart from him, there will be other characters returning. Ralph Fiennes is set to come back as the mysterious Doctor Ian Kelson, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson will once again play the role of Spike’s father, Jamie. It seems that they might travel to the mainland in search of their son.

Indeed, a few significant characters from the original movie won’t make it to the sequel because they suffered unfortunate deaths in the storyline.

Swedish actor Edvin Ryding and British actress Jodie Comer won’t make an appearance, unless they are re-introduced for any scenes involving flashbacks.

Jack O’Connell is the actor, who has left a lasting impact with his recent stellar performance in the horror movie Sinners. He had a brief yet significant cameo in 28 Years Later, and it’s been confirmed that he will take on a significant role as cult leader Jimmy in the sequel.

Likewise, Emma Laird and Maura Bird are set to appear as members of his cult.

However, among all the recent casting updates, the most captivating one involves Oscar-winning actor and “Peaky Blinders” star Cillian Murphy. Notably, he played the lead character as bike messenger Jim in the original “28 Days Later” film back in 2002.

Initially, there were rumors suggesting Murphy would star in the first movie, but these turned out to be unfounded. However, it’s now confirmed that he will make a brief appearance at the end of The Bone Temple, and if the next film is made, he will play a more significant role in its conclusion.

We can’t wait to see how he ties into the story!

Should we hear of any further additions to the cast, we’ll post them right here.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple plot

In the upcoming sequel, we don’t have a full summary yet, but here are some details we can share – notably, Jack O’Connell’s character, Jimmy, will likely take on a significant part since his character, Spike, was rescued by his cult at the end of the last film.

It’s quite possible that Jamie, Spike’s father, might travel to the mainland soon, since it appears he intends to find and reunite with his missing son.

It’s possible that he may reach out to Doctor Kelson for assistance, and together they might embark on a search for Spike.

It’s also interesting to ponder if baby Isla, who Spike brought to Holy Island and then returned to the mainland, could be connected to the ongoing events in any way.

Additionally, we’ve gotten a hint about the main theme for the second movie from an interview Danny Boyle conducted with The Independent.

The director clarified that the conclusion focuses on bringing back wickedness, which had previously been absent in a caring setting.

At the start of our collaboration, I inquired from Alex Garland about the core themes of each movie. He explained that the initial film explores the essence of family, while the second film delves into the essence of evil.

It’s definitely piqued my curiosity, given what we’ve learned about Jimmy thus far. I’m eager to discover the unique ways in which the movie delves into the concept of evil.

Will we maintain the slightly unconventional style that emerged towards the end of “28 Years Later”? We eagerly anticipate any new developments.

Is there a 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple trailer?

In other words, currently, there isn’t a trailer available for “The Bone Temple”, but considering the close proximity of its release date to the previous film, it appears likely that we won’t have to wait much longer to catch a glimpse.

Currently, you can catch a glimpse of what lies ahead in the next installment without any delay: simply visit the movie theater and stay until the end credits roll on 28 Years Later. It sets the stage quite nicely for the upcoming sequel!

Read More

2025-06-25 16:35