‘28 Weeks Later’ Was So Bad, Writer Wanted to Drop the Franchise Altogether
Why did we get 28 Years Later instead of 28 Months Later? Spoiler alert: the poor previous sequel might be the reason.
Danny Boyle's masterpiece came out in 2002, giving us one of the most intense zombie experiences ever. The sequel, 28 Weeks Later, dropped in 2007, and while it wasn't exactly a flop, it couldn't compete with the original whatsoever.
Fast forward to now and Danny Boyle is back with Alex Garland for 28 Years Later. But wait, shouldn't it be “Months” instead of “Years”?
It Was Actually Supposed to Be ‘28 Months Later’, Alex Garland Confirms
Fun fact: 28 Months Later was actually the original plan! Back in 2017, Garland spilled some tea to IGN about what they had in mind.
“It’s more likely to be 28 Months than 28 Years. 28 Years gives you one more place to go. 28 Decades is probably taking the piss,” he said.
What Happened to the ‘28 Months Later’ Plan?
While nothing has been confirmed yet, it looks like the not-so-great reception of 28 Weeks Later might have something to do with it. In a 2024 chat with Inverse, Garland straight-up admitted he wasn't too keen on doing another movie at first because of the failed sequel by saying:
“I resisted it for a long time because there were things about 28 Weeks that bugged me. I just thought, ‘F– that. I’d rather try to write a different story in a different world.’”
Some time later, though, he got an idea for 28 Years Later and Danny Boyle was on board. In the same interview, Boyle revealed:
“So we’re talking about it quite seriously, quite diligently. If he doesn’t want to direct it himself I’ll be well up for it, if we can execute a similarly good idea.”
‘28 Years Later’ Is Actually a Way Better Idea Than ‘28 Months Later’
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Aside from the potential financial benefits of creating something new, a time jump would make much more sense for the story. 28 years is enough time for some seriously wild stuff to happen.
Plus: after waiting nearly two decades for a new installment, 28 Years Later just feels right.
Now that Boyle and Garland are working together again, it looks like we might finally get the sequel we've been waiting for.
‘28 Years Later’: Release Date
28 Years Later comes to theaters on June 20, 2025.
