“28 Years Later” Movie Announced: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and How It Connects to “28 Days/Weeks Later”

The rage virus is raging again. Director Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” opened nationwide on 20 June 2025, re-animating a franchise that has been dormant since 2007 yet has only grown in cult stature during the pandemic era. Two decades ago Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland reinvented zombie cinema with “28 Days Later,” then handed the reins to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for “28 Weeks Later.” The third chapter finally reunites the original duo, who confirm they mapped out an entire new trilogy before cameras rolled. Shot largely on iPhones to recapture the first film’s guerrilla urgency, “28 Years Later” leaps ahead to a Britain that thinks it has beaten the infection—until a single containment breach sparks the fastest collapse yet. Jodie Comer headlines as marine biologist Isla, whose Arctic research station becomes ground zero for a mutated strain. Ralph Fiennes appears as a morally slippery epidemiologist, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Edvin Ryding lead a new generation of survivors. Boyle’s handheld lenses and frantic cross-cutting keep the 1 h 55 min runtime mercilessly tense. Early reviews hail the sequel’s blend of visceral chaos and eerily topical commentary. The New York Times praises Boyle for “reviving his monsters without losing sight of the human cost”, while The Ringer calls it “as infectious as ever.” Industry analysts point to brisk pre-sales that could give Sony Pictures its biggest R-rated horror launch since “Don’t Breathe.” Fans leaving the cinema should stay through the credits: a final shot sets up at least two more films, a plan Garland and Boyle openly discuss—complete with even bolder gore and nudity that required heated negotiations with the studio. “28 Years Later” is currently exclusive to theaters; a premium-video-on-demand window is expected by late summer, followed by streaming on Sony’s Crunchyroll-Hulu output deal in most territories. In the meantime, “28 Days Later” and “28 Weeks Later” are available to rent on major digital platforms, offering the perfect refresher—or initiation—before diving into the most frightening comeback of the year.