Danny Boyle Teases That 28 Months Later Is Still Very Possible

The term "classic" gets thrown around far too often, but 2002's "28 Days Later" fits the bill. As The Hollywood Reporter pointed out, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's post-apocalyptic horror has made a bona fide cultural impact. The film has been credited for reinvigorating the zombie subgenre at a time when filmmakers seemed content to leave the undead in their graves, leading to a resurgence in movies of this ilk that exists to this day.

Of course, "28 Days Later" isn't a typical zombie movie. While its success spawned a wave of movies that adopted more traditional George A. Romero-esque zombie tropes, "28 Days Later" stands out for its unique approach. For a start, the zombies are basically humans who have fallen victim to a contagious virus that turns them into raging, vicious killers. They're also able to sprint, which marked a departure from horror's more traditional slow-moving zombies at the time. The film also turned its lead actor, Cillian Murphy, into a global star — and he's spoiled us with many great performances since then.

A sequel, "28 Weeks Later," was released five years later, which did well financially (via Box Office Mojo) and earned generally favorable reviews (per Rotten Tomatoes). A third movie, titled "28 Months Later," has been discussed since then, but what are the chances of it ever actually happening?

During a recent interview with NME, Danny Boyle and Cillian Murphy discussed the legacy of "28 Days Later" and teased the long-gestating "28 Months Later" sequel eventually coming to fruition. They revealed that Alex Garland has a great idea for a third movie, though they kept most of the information close to the vest. That said, they also seemed enthusiastic about the idea.

Murphy believes that he's too old to return to the horror franchise, but he hasn't ruled out the possibility. "[Every] time I do bump into Danny or Alex I always mention it. Because I showed it to my kids recently, some Halloween about four or five years ago, and they loved it. It really stands up, which is amazing for a film that's 20 years old. So yeah, I love the idea and it's very appealing to me."

Boyle was also optimistic about "28 Months Later," and he even shared a small detail about the story. "I'd be very tempted [to direct it]. It feels like a very good time actually. It's funny, I hadn't thought about it until you just said it, and I remembered 'Bang, this script!' which is again set in England, very much about England. Anyway, we'll see... who knows?"

Of course, it depends on whether there's an appetite for a sequel. However, Boyle believes that fans would turn out to see it, should the project materialize.