The Sequel to ’28 Years Later’ Called ‘The Bone Temple’ is Getting a Rather Unique Release Date

The long-awaited sequel to the 28 Days Later series, titled 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is set to hit theaters on January 16, 2026.

The film has already finished shooting, with director Nia DaCosta, known for Candyman, leading the project. Sony has officially announced the release date, which is exactly 28 weeks away from now.

Unlike most Hollywood sequels that only get made after a movie becomes a hit, this new 28 Years Later movie was planned as part of a trilogy from the very beginning.

Both 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple were filmed back-to-back. Whether the third movie happens depends on how well these first two perform at the box office.

The title The Bone Temple connects directly to the story of the first movie in the trilogy, where a character named Dr. Kelson, played by Ralph Fiennes, creates an actual temple made out of bones.

This temple is built mostly from skulls collected over 28 years since the infection spread. Kelson’s work is a tribute to those who died, inspired by the phrase memento mori, which means “remember you must die.” This location will be important in the upcoming movie, and it looks like Fiennes will return to his role.

Ralph Fiennes shared some thoughts about the sequel in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He spoke about a powerful scene in the first film involving a woman infected with the virus giving birth to a baby who is not infected. He said, “The ultimate human moment is an infected woman who is giving birth to a baby who is not infected.

The new movie will also focus on a character named Sir Jimmy Crystal, played by Jack O’Connell. In the first film, Jimmy’s origin story and what he has become are shown at the beginning and end. Jimmy, along with his group, rescues a young boy named Spike from infected creatures.

This hints that Spike, played by Alfie Williams, will be an important part of the story and that the tone of the movie might be different from what fans expect. Danny Boyle, who directed the original 28 Days Later, said in an interview with IGN that Jimmy is a “hugely significant figure” in The Bone Temple. Boyle also mentioned that Jimmy and his gang were inspired by the real-life figure Jimmy Savile, giving a hint of what might be explored in the sequel.

Fans of the original 28 Days Later will be glad to know that Cillian Murphy is expected to return as Jim. Danny Boyle revealed to Business Insider, “[DaCosta] gets a bit of Cillian at the end. All I can say is you have to wait for Cillian, but hopefully he will help us get the third film financed.”

Murphy played the main character Jim in the original movie back in 2002, a survivor of the infection who now seems set to play a bigger role if the trilogy continues.

Filming started on August 19, 2024. In September, Cillian Murphy was seen filming in Cumbria, England. The movie will come out in the United States on January 16, 2026, through Sony Pictures.

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