Danny Boyle left 28 Years Later 3 off his list of next projects, a year after promising Cillian Murphy a significant role in it
Danny Boyle’s latest update suggests 28 Years Later 3 isn’t next up — and that hardly bodes well for Cillian Murphy’s return.
Here we go again with the rumour mill turning about 28 Years Later 3. If you were holding out hope this classic zombie trilogy would round off sooner rather than later, might want to pop the kettle on and settle in—looks like the wait could be even longer.
Where's Danny Boyle Focused?
Director Danny Boyle has been chatting about what he's up to next, but curiously, there was no mention of 28 Years Later 3 in the mix. This came out in his latest interview with IndieWire, where he got philosophical about the kind of projects he likes to take on. Boyle reckons he's always thrived with productions that are a bit of a slog to get greenlit, saying he likes work that feels like a 'battle.'
He described his approach to filmmaking this way:
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I’m stronger when I work on material that I feel is a battle to get made. I like to sell something to people. You want people to see it like you see it. It’s mad, really.
The point here is, usually when directors talk up their upcoming slate, they can't help but tease what they're most excited about—that's the game. Boyle not mentioning the third film doesn't 100% confirm there's a hold-up, but, let's be honest, it's not screaming 'filming starts tomorrow,' either.
Cillian Murphy's Role—Still in Play?
Rewind to 2025, and Boyle gave a much firmer nod to Cillian Murphy returning as Jim. In another IndieWire chat, Boyle talked up Murphy's involvement, hinting at big things:
It doesn’t take a genius to work out there’s going to be a big role for Cillian Murphy in it. Yeah, a significant role.
He even teased that the script already makes 'clever' use of Murphy and called it a 'very smart use' of the actor, who's now fifty. Plus, Murphy did pop up again as Jim in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (try getting that out of your head)—all setting up a much larger spot for him in the hypothetical trilogy-closer. But with Boyle quiet on the matter now, there's really not much more on the Cillian front for the time being.
The real sticking point is, there's still no production schedule for 28 Years Later 3. Boyle appears to be caught up elsewhere, so it's a case of wait and see for fans itching for another outbreak.
28 Years Later 3 has no confirmed start date for filming or release.
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