UPDATE: It’s been confirmed by producer Andrew McDonald that Cillian Murphy is not in “28 Years Later,” but that he might show up “somewhere along the line” before the trilogy wraps up.
EARLIER: After a much-heated bidding war, Sony prevailed and acquired the rights to Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later,” which will be written by Alex Garland. It was a hot package, and a few studios were in the running for the rights, including Warner Bros.
Cillian Murphy, who starred in the original movie, “28 Days Later,” and who is an executive producer, will NOT be returning in the first film. However, Jeff Sneider is saying that he will be there, in a notable cameo, for the second film, directed by Nia DaCosta, and will play a major role in the third one.
For the time being, Boyle and Garland have not confirmed or denied his presence. In an interview with Variety, which was recorded in December 2023, Murphy stated that he was “available” and interested in taking part in Boyle and Garland’s sequels. This struck many as an unofficial confirmation.
This past March, Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor, so it’s quite the catch for Boyle/Garland to have him take part in their films. If you remember, Murphy played the lead role of Jim in 2003’s “28 Days Later.” He survived, obviously, but didn’t appear in the follow-up “28 Weeks Later.”
Save for Steven Knight’s “Peaky Blinders” movie, which is supposed to be shot in September, Murphy is also attached to star in “Blood Runs Coal,” which might go into production later this year.
“28 Years Later” is said to have a budget of $60 million. It’s set to star Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. No details have been given about plot, characters and production dates. The plan is for ‘28 Years’ to kick off a trilogy of films, all scripted by Garland. The first one starts shooting next month in London.
The last film Boyle directed was 2019’s “Yesterday,” a sweet but very slight Beatles-themed romcom that felt like an anomaly within Boyle’s usually grim filmography. Boyle’s other notable works include “Trainspotting,” “127 Hours,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”