28 Years Later Sequel Confirmed: Cast, Plot Details, and Where to Watch the Next Installment

By  Published May 12, 2026, 6:04 PM EDT Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2026, became a news writer in 2026, a senior staff writer in 2026, and an editor in 2026.  follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

The sequel's fate has seemingly been revealed.

28 Years Later and its sequel were filmed back-to-back, with the first movie released in June 2026 and the follow-up in January 2026. While sets up a new installment that will complete the trilogy, there has been some uncertainty about whether it will happen after the second film underperformed at the box office.

Now, an Instagram post from actor indicates that the 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sequel is happening. He shared two images of training with a bow and arrow and the caption "It's Great to be Back!" alongside a smiling winking face emoji. Check out the image below:

In the two previous films, Williams plays Spike, a boy who has left his island community behind and is now on his own path on the mainland. Spike has previously used a bow and arrow, and at the end of The Bone Temple, he and Kellie (Erin Kellyman), are being chased by some of the infected, and Jim (Cillian Murphy) decides to help them.

Murphy, who first played Jim in the 28 Days Later movie that kicked off the post-apocalyptic horror franchise, was confirmed to appear at the end of The Bone Temple before it came out, which would set up a larger role for the final movie in the trilogy. In December 2026, it was reported that a was moving forward, with Murphy in talks to return and Alex Garland writing the script. Despite The Bone Temple only grossing $58.5 million worldwide against a budget of $63 million, Williams' post indicates that the trilogy is still going to get its conclusion.

28 Years Later was a box office success, as it earned $151.3 million globally against a $60 million budget. While back-to-back filming led to a short wait for the sequel, the unusually fast turnaround may have contributed to the sequel not performing as well as its predecessor, even though it had better reception from critics and the general audience. 28 Years Later has an 88% score from critics and 63% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. In comparison, led to a "Certified Fresh" Tomatometer score of 92% and a "Verified Hot" Popcornmeter score of 88%.

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Along with Spike, Jim, and Kellie, other characters expected to return for the next sequel are Jim's daughter Sam (Maiya Eastmond), Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), and Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Before his death, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) cured Samson of the Rage Virus, and after being separated from his son at the end of the previous film.

The upcoming sequel is anticipated to tie together the franchise's various strands, especially after Jim's absence in 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later. This includes addressing the fate of Selena (Naomie Harris), who survives 28 Days Later with Jim but is not with him or Sam during the final scene in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

15 7.9/10 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Release Date January 16, 2026 Runtime 109 Minutes Director Nia DaCosta

Cast

• Alfie Williams Spike
• Jack O'Connell Jimmy Crystal

Where to watch Close

WHERE TO WATCH

Writers Producers Andrew Macdonald, Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, , Peter Rice Prequel(s) Franchise(s) 28 Days Later Expand Collapse

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