Summary
Could Danny Boyle’s plans for28 Years Laterhelp resurrect his forgottensci-fifilm starring Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans, which the director originally intended to turn into a trilogy? While it’s a big ask, so are the plans fueling the28 Years Lateragenda, which also hopes to be a trilogy of new films in the franchise.
Boyle’s eclectic career has seen him tackle numerous genres, and the director even won a Best Director Academy Award for his 2009 dramaSlumdog Millionaire. While he has flexed his chops with films like127 HoursandTrainspotting, Boyle is beloved by horror and sci-fi fans. The director was behind28 Days Later, which instilled fear thanks to the terrifying fallout of the Rage virus, which was written by Alex Garland. The two arereteaming for28 Years Later, but they also collaborated on a forgotten 2007 sci-fi calledSunshine.
The28 Years LaterTrilogy Plans, Explained
28 Years Lateris the third installment of the franchisethat started with28 Days Laterand continued with the underrated28 Weeks Later. Boyle is now continuing the series with his new sequel that focuses on a group of survivors on a small island, with their seclusion broken by one of them venturing to the mainland, where unknown horrors pit them in a fight for survival. Garland co-wrote the script with Boyle, who also directed the sequel, which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O’Connell, Ralph Fiennes, and Jodie Comer.
28 Years Lateris also intended to be the start of a new trilogy, as a sequel called28 Years Later: The Bone Templehas already been filmed. Boyle and Garland serve as producers onThe Bone Temple, which Garland penned. However,The MarvelsandCandymanremake director Nia DaCosta directed the follow-up, which is slated to hit theaters in early 2026. Boyle also recentlyconfirmed that Cillian Murphy, the star of28 Days Later, will appear inThe Bone Templeand the potential third movie.
The third28 Years Laterfilm still hangs in the balance, as it has not been filmed and requires funding to enter production.If28 Years LaterandThe Bone Templeprove successful, the third film will undoubtedly get the green light, bringing the planned trilogy to fruition.
Danny Boyle’sSunshineFeatured A Stellar Cast, And It Was Meant To Be A Trilogy
Boyle directedSunshinefrom a script by Garland.The sci-fi movie tellsa grandiose story following a team of international astronauts tasked with the perilous mission of rebooting a dying sun with a fission bomb to save the whole of humanity on Earth.Sunshinefeatures a star-studded cast, featuring Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Mark Strong, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Benedict Wong.The movie even boasts similar love from critics and audiences, as it has overwhelmingly positive reviews. However, those who may not enjoy the film tend to point to a tonal shift late in the story that doesn’t sit well with some.
Sunshine’sbudget was reportedly $23 million, which is frightfully small for the epic scale and visual effects that bolster the film. However, much of the cast, including Chris Evans, were still up-and-coming actors at the time, helping keep the cost down. Still, even with great reviews and a sci-fi story that pushes the envelope of human survival,Sunshineonly earned $38.9 million at the worldwide box office, with only $3.6 million coming from United States paying audiences.
DespiteSunshine’slackluster returns, Boyle recently revealed in an interview withColliderthat their plans for the movie were much bigger, stating,“Alex wrote two other parts. It was supposed to be a trilogy.“Given the fate of the characters inSunshine, Boyle also clarified,“It was a planetary trilogy. It was to do with the sun itself, with two other stories.“Given the time that has passed sinceSunshine’srelease, the director was unable to recall much of the exact story, but hinted at “an extraordinary idea in one of them” that he chose not to divulge, as he assumed Garland may yet use it.
It was a planetary trilogy. It was to do with the sun itself, with two other stories.
Could28 Years LaterHelp Revive Danny Boyle & Alex Garland’s Plans ForSunshine?
While Boyle and Garland hope to get the third28 Years Latermovie off the ground, they both have a bright future, and moreSunshinecould be a part of it.Since the release of28 Days LaterandSunshine, Garland has also begun directing. After he penned and supposedly “ghost-directed"Dredd, Garland went on to helmEx Machina,Annihilation, andCivil War. He was also recently tapped towrite and direct theElden Ringvideo game adaptation.
The cast ofSunshinehas since exploded, with Evans and Wong both appearing in numerous MCU projects. Michelle Yeoh won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role inEverything Everywhere All at Once, Murphy won a Best Actor Oscar forOppenheimer, and Sanada is a two-time Emmy winner thanks to the seriesShogun. The drawback with the cast comes from howSunshineplays out, meaning none of them could return for the sequels, unless it dealt with elements prior to their mission departure.
Boyle stated that the sequels would have kept the focus on the sun, and the trilogy would have ultimately shared heavy thematic elements rather than characters.While28 Years Laterstill has much to prove regarding box office, the movie’s success could show that Boyle’s old IPs still carry weight, which has been partially achieved thanks to the record-breaking viewership numbers the trailer for the horror sequel brought in. If28 Years Laterbrings in the box officereturns the studio hopes for, it should spur the third planned entry in the horror series, and it may just see the director and writer ofSunshineget another chance to brighten the world with their unmade sci-fi sequels.
