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New ‘28 Years Later’ Franchise Lands At Sony, Cillian Murphy Joins As Producer & May Appear

Thanks to “Oppenheimer,” all of Hollywood wants a piece of Cillian Murphy. So is it any surprise that Sony shelled out a ton for the latest in the “28 Days Later” franchise? THR reports that the studio won the bidding war for a new sequel in the zombie franchise, which comes with an additional sequel if all goes well. As of right now, however, Murphy is only on board officially as an executive producer.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024

The actor may still star in pic, though, which also sees director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland back for the latest installment. That should surprise some folks, as Garland has expressed interest in retiring from filmmaking in the lead-up to “Civil War,” his new movie that drops in April. But the big name here remains Murphy, who’s a favorite to win Best Actor at the Oscars in a handful of weeks after winning the same award at the Golden Globes last month.  

But let’s talk about the “28 Days Later” films and their future. Boyle’s 2002 film was a genre standout that year, making nearly $85 million on a shoestring $8 million budget. The movie was a breakout role for Murphy, but a splashy pivot for Boyle, who was coming off of “The Beach,” his first project with Garland, an adaptation of the writer’s novel. It also arguably ushered in pop culture’s zombie craze, diluting narrative aspects of George A. Romero‘s original “Dead” trilogy and beating Zack Snyder‘s “Dawn Of The Dead” remake by two years. In 2007, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo directed the sequel “28 Weeks Later,” another box-office success for the franchise. But another sequel never happened until now.

WME started shopping around a package for a new “28 Days Later” movie three weeks ago, with Sony and Warner Bros. as the final bidders. Sony won out, and looks to give the new movie a budget in the $60 million range. Boyle and Garland will also produce the picture with original producers Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Rice is the former head of Fox Searchlight Pictures, the division of the now-defunct Twentieth Century Fox that backed the 2002 original and its sequel.  Bernie Bellow also produces the new film. And Sony beating out Warner Bros. for “28 Years Later” should come with little surprise, as Boyle has been tight with Sony head Tom Rothman for three decades now. The pair have had great success together, including Oscar Best Picture winner “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours,” among others.

Since “28 Days Later,” Garland has moved onto directing, including smash hits like 2015’s “Ex Machina,” an adaptation of Jeff Vandermeer‘s “Annihilation,” and most recently “Men.” “Civil War” hits theaters on April 12. As for Boyle, he hasn’t directed a film since “Yesterday” in 2019. And, of course, Cillian Murphy is the actor of the hour, thanks to “Oppenheimer.” The Irish actor appears next in the drama “Small Things Like These,” which opens the Berlinale in a matter of days.

But even if Murphy doesn’t star in “28 Years Later,” Sony’s sequel has buzz thanks to Boyle and Garland returning. And if the new movie is another big hit, expect not just a sequel but potentially a new trilogy from the studio. Zombies may not be as in fashion as they once were, but then “28 Days Later” was always higher in quality than “The Walking Dead” and its many offshoots; so, yes, expect this to be a buzzy theatrical release for Sony next year.

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