Cillian Murphy’s Role in the ’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Is Coming Later Than We Hoped

Cillian Murphy is set to make his eventual return to the world of 28 Days Later within the upcoming trilogy that 28 Years Later will kick off this summer, but there are a few catches.

Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) revealed vague details about the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer actor’s involvement to IGN. The upcoming trilogy expands on the world Boyle and Alex Garland (Civil War) started with 28 Days Later and its star Cillian Murphy, with a new set of interconnected stories. However, Murphy will not appear in the first film as it introduces a new central character: Spike, a 12-year-old boy portrayed by Alfie Williams whose family (led by Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) finds itself in the thick of the post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak.

“Although each story completes itself, there’s a handover section to the next film as well. So it’s very ambitious. We haven’t got the money for the third one yet. It will depend how the first one does, I guess,” Boyle shared and explained that Murphy’s return is contingent on how the first two movies do.

“But hopefully if we do ok, they’ll give us the go-ahead for the money and for the third one. Everybody’s standing by for that, really. Including Cillian,” the director confirmed regarding Murphy’s participation.

Currently it’s planned that he will make an appearance at the end of the Nia DaCosta (Candyman)-directed follow-up 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which picks up on the immediate continuation of events from Boyle’s upcoming reboot sequel and is slated to open in theaters next January.

“He is in the second one,” Boyle revealed, “I shouldn’t give away too much. I’ll get killed.” But we can guess that his appearance will only tease the potential of the third film, which Sony has yet to confirm.

Boyle continued, “You know that thing about sequels, you want to push it on and take huge risks.”

“I have to say fair play to [studio Sony Pictures]. They did allow us to take great liberties with [28 Years Later]. They could have said, ‘Oh no, it needs to be more sequel-y. You need to rely on some of the ideas that are in the original. And what do you mean Cillian’s not going to appear in the first one? I thought you said Cillian was going to be in it.’ We said, ‘Yeah, Cillian is going to be in it, but not quite the first one.’ So fair play to them. They’ve put up with a lot.”

28 Years Later opens June 20.

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