Last May, news broke that Cillian Murphy would return as zombie apocalypse survivor Jim in Danny Boyle‘s upcoming horror film “28 Years Later.” But now it appears that’s not the case.
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Empire reports that, in fact, no, Murphy won’t be back for the new trilogy; at least, not yet. For now, the actor remains only a behind-the-scenes presence on Boyle and Alex Garland‘s new films (which sees Nia DaCosta helm the second installment, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple“). “We wanted him to be involved, and he wanted to be involved. He is not in the first film, but I’m hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line,” producer Andrew Macdonald told the magazine.
“[Murphy’s] involved at the moment as an executive producer,” Macdonald continued, “and I would hope we can work with him in some way in the future in the trilogy.” In all likelihood, that means Murphy may show up in the still-unshot third film, which Boyle confirmed to Empire he’s directing and will start shooting after “28 Years Later” hits theaters on June 20, 2025. However, there are no guarantees there. Murphy remains one of Hollywood’s most highly sought-after actors after his Oscar Best Actor win for “Oppenheimer” last year. He’s currently in between projects, having just finished production on the drama “Steve” and Steven Knight‘s “Peaky Blinders” film “The Immortal Man,” but that doesn’t mean he’ll be available once Boyle’s trilogy-capper enters production.
In that sense, Murphy’s involvement in the trilogy may depend on how “28 Years Later” does in theaters this summer. But Boyle and Sony don’t need to worry there. The film’s first trailer, released last month, broke all sorts of viewership awards upon release, which hints the movie may be a massive early summer hit. And if that happens, expect Boyle to shoot the third movie swiftly and come out in Summer 2026, roughly half a year after DaCosta’s “The Bone Temple” arrives in theaters on January 16, 2026.
Of course, there’s an outside chance Murphy has already shot scenes for “The Bone Temple,” and Boyle and Macdonald are teasing fans of the series. But there won’t be a definitive answer to that for another year. So, for now, perhaps it’s best to be excited for one of 2025’s most anticipated horror movies.
