I Loved 28 Years Later, And I’m Excited About The Bone Temple. Here’s Everything We Know About The Sequel

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Among the year’s most unexpected delights for me has been discovering that the sequel, “28 Years Later“, not only surpasses its highly praised predecessor, “28 Days Later“, but outshines many of the 2025 movies on my list. Consequently, I am eagerly anticipating the next installment, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple“, to such an extent that I can hardly contain my excitement!

The most recent addition to the series set within a chilling virus-stricken universe offers a uniquely intense, superbly acted, and deeply moving journey that surpasses any “zombie” film I’ve encountered before. I eagerly anticipate revisiting this captivating world in the sequel, which fortunately won’t keep us waiting for long. Find out when The Bone Temple premieres and gather more information about this intriguing horror flick, below.

What Is The 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Release Date?

Among the many exciting horror movies scheduled for 2026, one noteworthy early release is “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple“, slated for a premiere on January 16, 2026. Typically, films debuting in January receive negative reviews, but the timing seems appropriate given that this sequel will hit screens approximately 28 weeks following “28 Years Later“… technically, it’s two weeks later, but we’re talking horror here, so close enough!

What Is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple About?

Similarly to how details about its predecessor were tightly guarded before release, not much is known yet about the plot of The Bone Temple. However, we do know that it continues the storyline from 28 Years Later, which is a spin-off of sorts from the 2002 horror film, 28 Days Later, and its sequel, 28 Weeks Later. In my opinion, the latter is often overlooked.

From interviews with its creators and the ambiguous ending of “28 Years Later,” it’s reasonable to assume that the film will continue chronicling the exploits of Spike, a young character who met Jimmy and his group on the British Isle, one of the few remaining areas ravaged by The Rage Virus. Judging by the title, we can expect to delve deeper into Dr. Kelson’s life and his fortified home constructed from three decades worth of human remains. Sony CEO Tom Rothman hinted that “The Bone Temple” will focus more on mankind’s cruelty towards each other, a theme already prevalent in many popular zombie narratives but still intriguing in its potential storytelling.

The 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Cast

In my new terminology for the “28” series, the upcoming sequel will bring back some familiar faces from the last movie, along with a respected veteran actor from the original film that launched it. Let’s delve into the confirmed cast members of “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

Alfie Williams (Spike)

Alfie Williams, formerly seen on HBO’s “His Dark Materials” and the 2023 crime drama “A New Breed of Criminal”, delivers a remarkable debut performance as 12-year-old Spike in “28 Years Later”. Spike is a character who has spent his entire life within the post-Rage Virus world, having been raised under continuous quarantine in the British Isles. The young English actor will once again portray this role in “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”.

Aaron Taylor-Johsnon (Jamie)

Although Aaron Taylor-Johnson, known for his roles in “28 Years Later,” several Marvel films as Quicksilver, and other major productions, had a relatively limited screen presence as Jamie, Spike’s father, it is anticipated that he will have a more substantial role in “The Bone Temple.” This could involve him traveling to the Mainland to search for his son, who has become estranged. In this upcoming film, Taylor-Johnson, winner of a Golden Globe, will also star alongside Robert Eggers, their reunion marking Eggers’ direction of “Werwulf,” where they previously worked together on “Nosferatu.

Jack O’Connell (Jimmy)

In a shocking turn of events, Jack O’Connell left viewers, including me, astonished with his unexpected appearance at the end of “28 Years Later” as Jimmy, a character portrayed by a group of expert Infected hunters. Interestingly, these characters appear to have based their appearances on British TV presenter Jimmy Savile, who in our world is infamous for his heinous acts. This intriguing figure will be further explored when the talented Irish actor, known for his riveting portrayal of a ruthless vampire leader in “Sinners,” reappears as Jimmy in “The Bone Temple.

Ralph Fiennes (Dr. Ian Kelson)

In a surprising twist, I found myself taken aback by Ralph Fiennes’ role in “28 Years Later” as the benevolent Dr. Ian Kelson. Given his past roles as villains such as the ruthless Nazi Amon Goeth in “Schindler’s List” and Voldemort from the “Harry Potter” series, I had anticipated a more antagonistic presence for this character. However, I am eagerly awaiting to see Dr. Kelson again in “The Bone Temple.

Chi Lewis-Parry (Samson)

It’s quite likely that many people are eager to see more of Chi Lewis-Parry, who portrayed the massive Alpha Infected character Dr. Kelson nicknamed Samson, a role reminiscent of iconic “zombie” characters like Bub from Day of the Dead. Previously, the English actor worked as a stunt performer with Taylor-Johnson in Kraven the Hunter, and he was also featured in Gladiator II as Phoebus.

Cillian Murphy (Jim)

Among the Bone Temple’s cast members, it’s Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Jim that has us and many others buzzing with anticipation. Some fans even speculated he might return after a shot in the trailer showed an Infected character who looks remarkably like him, leading some to assume he was in 28 Years Later. Prior to this role, Cillian Murphy gained recognition for his breakthrough performance as the protagonist in 28 Days Later. He later took on the part of The Scarecrow, a Batman villain, in the Dark Knight Trilogy, led the successful period crime drama Peaky Blinders, and earned an Academy Award for his work on the Best Picture Oscar winner, Oppenheimer.

Nia DaCosta Directs 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Almost thirty years since he directed “28 Days Later”, Danny Boyle didn’t helm “28 Years Later”. Instead, that role for “The Bone Temple” was handed over to Nia DaCosta. She mentioned in CinemaCon that the 2002 original film was one she frequently watched as a teenager. (Based on ScreenRant)

Following her first appearance in the 2018 movie “Little Woods”, the director demonstrated her ability in the horror genre with the critically acclaimed “Candyman” reboot in 2021. She then directed “The Marvels” in 2023. Additionally, Boyle is currently working as a producer on “The Bone Temple”, alongside Alex Garland who wrote “Days” and “Years”. He will also be writing the next installment of the project.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Was Shot Back-To-Back With The Previous Film

The time span between the debuts of “28 Years Later” and “The Bone Temple”, approximately six months, is remarkably short for sequels, as they were filmed consecutively, similar to how the second and third “Back to the Future” films were produced. In 2024, Aaron Taylor-Johnson shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that both movies were shot back-to-back.

A Third 28 Years Later Installment Is In Development

In other words from the realm of the Rage Virus beyond “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”, there’s more to look forward to in this series, as this is just the second installment of a planned trilogy. However, it’s important to note that the third film, which would be the fifth in the franchise, hasn’t been officially confirmed yet. As stated in an interview with ScreenRant, Alex Garland plans to reprise his role as writer and Danny Boyle as director once the film secures sufficient funding.

How To Watch The 28 Franchise So Far

It wasn’t until December 2024 that the movie “28 Days Later” was made available for streaming, having been unavailable for several years beforehand, allowing only those with the original DVDs to rewatch it at home. On the other hand, “28 Weeks Later” has always been easily accessible, currently offered through a Hulu subscription. As of now, you can pre-order “28 Years Later” on digital and Blu-ray formats. For a comprehensive guide on how to watch the “28” film series so far, see below:

* 28 Days Later: Streaming (as of December 2024)
* 28 Weeks Later: Hulu subscription required
* 28 Years Later: Pre-order for digital and Blu-ray formats (currently available)

Title Stream Rent/Buy Blu-ray/DVD
28 Days Later (2002) Stream 28 Days Later on Pluto TV Rent or buy 28 Days Later on Amazon Buy 28 Days Later on Blu-ray on Amazon
28 Weeks Later (2007) Stream 28 Weeks Later on Hulu Rent or buy 28 Weeks Later on Amazon Buy 28 Weeks Later on Blu-ray on Amazon
28 Years Later (2025) Pre-order 28 Years Later on Amazon Pre-order 28 Years Later on Blu-ray on Amazon

As a cinephile eagerly anticipating the next chapter, I can’t help but echo Mike Reyes’ sentiments from TopMob about his review of 28 Years Later. Frankly, the film lived up to expectations and left me yearning for more. The upcoming release of The Bone Temple has become an unbearable wait for me now!

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2025-07-20 12:10