Pardon our old banner image, yes, we realize the next installment of the “28 Days Later” series will not be called, “28 Months Later.”
Danny Boyle’s on-again, off-again flirtation with directing this third film (an unknown title that Boyle hasn’t revealed), is apparently back on again.
In 2008, our last update, he said, “I mean, it’s absolutely not written yet, but there’s a prospect of an idea and the way these ideas start is you just suddenly get a little glimpse.”
In 2007, Boyle told MTV that yes, he really thought directing the film would be a possibility. Then he said the same in September of 2008. Then in October, it looked like Boyle would again hand over the reigns to another director like he did with, “28 Weeks Later,” and just deliver the idea and executive-produce again. Then in November 2008, he once again said, “I’d certainly like to . I feel the idea is quite a strong idea, and it could well involve directing it. Yeah, absolutely.”
Now DreadCentral are boasting a pretty benign “exclusive” that touts nothing other than the fact that Boyle is “planning to return to direct” the picture with no other details. We’d love to see it, but frankly, we’ll believe it when we’re sitting in theatres watching it. At this point in Boyle’s career — an Academy Award winning director for “Slumdog Millionaire” with another nomination for “127 Hours” on the way — it seems like he has bigger fish to fry rather than return to a series in a genre he has already tackled. Fairly omnivorous in taste, unless the scope is gigantic…
As for the 2nd installment, “28 Weeks Later” it doesn’t break a lot of new ground, but it is entertaining and if you want to see some up-and-coming actors before they became stars — Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, and a very early Imogen Poots appearance, who yes is not a star yet, but will be –you could do a lot worse.
Alex Garland Says The Franchise Is “Frozen” With Rights Issues
An interesting update by way of a reader (thanks for the fyi). Apparently just last week, screenwriter Alex Garland commented on this proposed third film and he said it’s in a tangle of rights issues at the moment. “When we made ’28 Days Later,’ the rights were frozen between a group of people who are no longer talking to each other. And so, the film is never going to happen unless those people start talking to each other again. There is no script as far as I’m aware.” Maybe something changed very recently?
Update 2: As we suspected, despite the fact that Dread Central had “quotes” and we use that term in the loosest way possible since they’re second-hand quotes that now appear fabricated or false, their report sounds false. Boyle addressed the alleged report in Washington, D.C. (via ShockTilYouDrop) that he is jam-packed with projects; directing a stage play of Frankenstein in London and then acting as a creative chief on the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. Boyle apparently told audiences that if their was a demand for a third film, one would be made, but it sounds like the rights issues are still a potential problem and either way, we probably wouldn’t be seeing the film anytime soon. At this point, it could be doubtful whether we see another feature-length effort from Boyle until after the Olympics are over. That said, the director does work fast, so it’s possible he could jam in another film during this period.