Danny Boyle Says ‘28 Years Later: Part 3' Might Happen “In Theory,” but He's “Not Sure When”

When Danny Boyle and Alex Garland first announced “28 Years Later,” they made it clear their ambitions went beyond a single movie, outlining a planned trilogy with Boyle directing the first instalment, Nia DaCosta taking over for the second chapter—“The Bone Temple”—and Boyle returning to close out the story.

That said, Boyle has given us the latest update on “28 Years Later: Part 3,” and he’s gone from “we shoot next summer” to “it will happen but who knows when.” Sony is obviously hesitating.

Boyle told a TIFF audience that the threequel could happen “in theory,” which is something a director would say to keep the door open, but with no greenlight. Now, at the Zurich Film Festival, Boyle remains positive, saying it “will get made,” but he’s not quite sure when.

‘28 Years 3,’ or whatever it ends up being called, will get made because people keep asking about it. Quite when I’m not sure, but there’s a script – a very good script by Alex Garland.

These comments are in stark contrast to what Boyle said five months ago, which is when he claimed the threequel would start filming in early 2027.

The timing of this latest update comes after this year’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” earned strong reviews but faltered at the box office. Director Nia DaCosta recently admitted she was “disappointed” by its performance, while Sony Pictures Entertainment has remained silent about the planned third film from Boyle and Garland.

Sadly, it doesn’t look like ‘The Bone Temple’ has found an audience on streaming either, struggling to gain traction on platforms and reportedly showing low numbers in its recent Netflix debut. It’s a shame, because I actually quite liked the film. It takes real risks, but maybe that was the problem—it sacrifices fan service in favor of artistic ambition, and clearly alienated the broader audience expecting a visceral horror revival.

Would Sony, which reportedly lost around $30M on ‘The Bone Temple,’ actually go ahead with a third film? Internally, there has clearly been hesitation, but the return of original 2002 star Cillian Murphy—which is understood to be part of the plan—could be enough to convince them that third time might be the charm, and that the franchise still has a chance at a more lucrative final instalment.