Why 28 Years Later skipped Months instalment as Cillian Murphy sequel to release sooner than you think

28 Years Later has finally released, with the performances of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Alfie Williams, and Ralph Fiennes gaining praise across the board.

Despite this though, many viewers will all be left with the same two questions about the sequel to 28 Days Later: Where is Cillian Murphy and why did they skip 28 Months Later?

Many theorised that Murphy would appear in the film, including a high profile mix-up in which near everyone watching the first trailer became convinced that the 28 Days Later star had returned as a zombie.

In the end it transpired that he hadn’t but has been confirmed to have a role in the upcoming sequel film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – and it is coming out far sooner than you probably realise.

With the upcoming sequel to the sequel already filmed, many will also be questioning why the creatives behind the series chose to skip over 28 Months in favour of a 28 Years trilogy.

Why did they skip 28 Months Later and go straight to 28 Years Later?

(Sony)

The issue is a complicated one as Danny Boyle and Alex Garland once actually believed that 28 Months Later was the logical next step.

Boyle said in 2015 with an interview with IGN that 28 Months Later made sense because ‘28 Years Later only left you one place to go’ and that 28 Decades Later would probably be ‘taking the p*ss’.

The pair were not involved in the sequel 28 Weeks Later, widely agreed to be the worst of the series, with writer Alex Garland eventually saying in an interview with Inverse about a sequel: “I resisted it for a long time because there were things about 28 Weeks that bugged me.

“I just thought, ‘F*ck that. I’d rather try to write a different story in a different world'.

“But a few years ago an idea materialised in my head for what would be really 28 Years Later. Danny always liked the idea.”

The idea, which has now come to fruition, was reliant on decades having passed to change the landscape of the UK near completely, rendering 28 Months Later a no go.

This does however leave the question around why they’ve ended up going with sequels to 28 Years Later itself.

What do we know about the 28 Years Later sequels and what is Cillian Murphy’s role in them?

The 28 Days Later star has gone on to become a household name (Searchlight Pictures)

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was filmed simultaneously alongside 28 Years Later, being directed by Nia DaCosta as Danny Boyle was unable to film both back-to-back.

The film will be releasing in just over 28 Weeks from today ironically, on January 16, 2026, an incredibly fast turnaround for a sequel.

Jack O’Connell who appeared in the film’s controversial ending, has been confirmed to play a much larger role in the upcoming sequel.

Whilst Boyle and Garland have not yet stated why they have done sequels to 28 Years Later specifically they have been clear that the story they came up with could only be achieved in a trilogy.

The first two films of this prospective trilogy have been filmed, however the possible third in the series has not yet been greenlit and will depend on the performance of 28 Years Later.

Danny Boyle has confirmed that, similar to Jack O’Connell’s role in the newest film, Cillian Murphy will appear at the very end of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Assuming a third is then green-lit, Boyle has stressed that Murphy’s Jim would have a major role in that film.