Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are finally back together, and honestly, it’s about time. For years, the "28 Days Later" franchise felt like a relic of the early 2000s—a gritty, digital-video fever dream that changed how we look at zombies. But now, the momentum is moving fast. We aren't just getting one movie; we're getting a trilogy. The middle child of this new era, 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple, is already one of the most discussed projects in modern horror circles.
It's weird. Usually, sequels feel like a cash grab. This feels like an event.
The production for the first film in the new trilogy wrapped earlier in 2024, but the industry shifted its focus almost immediately to the second installment. There’s a specific kind of energy around this production. Nia DaCosta, known for Candyman and The Marvels, has stepped in to direct the second chapter, taking the baton from Boyle. It’s a bold choice. DaCosta has a very specific visual eye—one that handles body horror and atmospheric dread with a sort of elegance that might contrast beautifully with Boyle's frenetic, shaky-cam legacy.
Why the title matters (and why it’s haunting)
People keep asking about the name. 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple sounds like something out of a dark fantasy novel, doesn't it? It moves away from the clinical, "quarantine" feel of the first two movies. While "28 Days" and "28 Weeks" were about the immediate fallout of the Rage Virus, "The Bone Temple" suggests a world that has moved past the emergency phase and into something much more permanent and, frankly, terrifying.
It suggests culture. Or maybe a cult.
When a society is gone for nearly three decades, the survivors don't just hide in bunkers anymore. They build. They create mythologies. If the title is any indication, we might be looking at a version of post-apocalyptic Britain where the infected aren't just a biological threat, but a part of a new, twisted religion or social structure. Think about it. 28 years is long enough for a child born after the outbreak to become a parent. To them, the "Old World" is just a story. The "Bone Temple" is their reality.
The Cast: Returning Faces and New Blood
We have to talk about Cillian Murphy. For the longest time, his involvement was the "will they, won't they" of the decade. Well, he’s back. Not just as an executive producer, but as Jim. Seeing Jim 28 years older is going to be jarring. In the original film, he was the audience surrogate—the man who woke up into a nightmare. Now, he’s a veteran of that nightmare.
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The cast for the new trilogy is stacked:
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson: A heavy hitter who usually brings a lot of physical intensity.
- Jodie Comer: She’s shown incredible range in Killing Eve, and her ability to pivot between vulnerability and coldness fits this universe perfectly.
- Ralph Fiennes: This is the one that gets me. Fiennes doesn't just do "zombie movies." His presence suggests a script with real weight and perhaps a villain—or a leader—who is more complex than a simple survivor.
- Jack O'Connell: Rumored to have a massive role in the second part specifically.
The filming for 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple reportedly kicked off in the UK shortly after the first film wrapped. This "back-to-back" production style is usually reserved for massive franchises like Lord of the Rings or Avatar. It tells us that Garland has written a single, sprawling epic that needed to be split up to breathe.
The Nia DaCosta Factor
Nia DaCosta taking over for the second film is a pivot. Alex Garland wrote the scripts for all three, providing the connective tissue, but the directorial shift is intentional. DaCosta has a way of filming "space." In her Candyman reboot, the architecture of the city felt like a character.
In 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple, the setting is everything. If the "Bone Temple" is a physical location—perhaps a transformed cathedral or a repurposed London landmark—DaCosta is the perfect person to make that space feel both sacred and repulsive.
There’s also the technical side. The original 2002 film was famous for being shot on the Canon XL-1, a standard-definition digital camera. It looked "dirty." It looked real. For the new films, they are reportedly using high-end systems (like the Nikon Z9 in some instances for the first part), but trying to maintain that raw, cinematic edge. You don't want these movies to look too clean. If it looks like a Marvel movie, the soul is gone.
What is the "Bone Temple" anyway?
Speculation is high, but let’s look at the facts of the universe. The Rage Virus isn't a traditional "undead" plague. The infected are living people driven by pure, unadulterated anger. They starve. They die of thirst.
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After 28 years, the original "Rage" population would be long dead. This means the virus has either found a way to persist in the wild—maybe through animals, which was hinted at in the first film's deleted scenes—or there are new outbreaks.
"The Bone Temple" likely refers to a site of mass death that has been sanctified. Imagine the catacombs of Paris, but spread across a rural English estate. It points to a shift in the franchise from "survival horror" to "folk horror." That is a transition Alex Garland is very comfortable with, considering his work on Men.
The SEO Reality: What People are Searching For
If you’re looking for a trailer, you’re going to be waiting a bit. With the first part of the trilogy slated for a June 2025 release, we likely won't see footage of 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple until late 2025 or even early 2026.
The search intent here is clear: fans want to know if the sequels will ruin the legacy of the original. It’s a fair fear. 28 Weeks Later was a decent action flick, but it lacked the philosophical soul of the Boyle/Garland collaboration. By bringing the original creators back and pairing them with a talent like DaCosta, the studio is signaling that this isn't just a reboot. It's a completion of a vision.
A Different Kind of Apocalypse
Most post-apocalyptic media focuses on the "fall." We love watching society crumble. But we rarely stay around for the "rebuild."
What does a court system look like 28 years after the end of the world? What does religion look like? That’s where this movie is likely going to live. It’s not about the initial panic; it’s about the long-term trauma. The "Bone Temple" might be a monument to that trauma.
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The production has been spotted in the North of England, utilizing the rugged, bleak landscapes of Northumberland. This choice of location suggests a move away from the urban decay of London and toward a more primal, isolated environment. It’s much harder to escape the infected when there are no walls to hide behind—just open moors and ancient stone.
What You Should Do Now
To stay ahead of the curve on this, you have to look at the production cycles. Sony Pictures is the powerhouse behind this, and they are betting big.
- Watch the original 28 Days Later again, but pay attention to the dialogue about "the state of nature." Garland’s obsession with how humans behave when the mask of civilization slips is the key to understanding where the new trilogy is going.
- Follow Nia DaCosta’s stylistic cues. If you haven't seen Little Woods, watch it. It shows her ability to handle characters living on the fringes of society, which is exactly what the survivors in the second film will be.
- Keep an eye on casting calls in the UK. Often, the "extras" for these films leak more about the vibe than the official PR. Reports of "thin, athletic" performers usually mean the "Runners" (the infected) are back in a big way.
The wait for 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple is going to be long, but for a franchise that has been dormant for nearly two decades, a couple more years is nothing. We are finally getting a version of the future that isn't just about zombies—it's about what we become when the world stops being ours.
Prepare for a much darker, more ritualistic version of the UK than we’ve ever seen. The "Bone Temple" is coming, and it’s likely going to redefine the genre all over again.
Key Takeaways for Fans
The production of 28 Years Later Part II The Bone Temple represents a significant shift in horror filmmaking, moving from the "shaky cam" era into a more structured, atmospheric "folk horror" territory. With Nia DaCosta at the helm and Alex Garland writing the blueprint, the film aims to explore the sociological evolution of a world broken by the Rage Virus. Expect a focus on new civilizations, the weight of long-term survival, and a visual style that balances the grime of the original with the haunting beauty of the English countryside. Stay tuned to official Sony Pictures channels for the first teaser, expected roughly six months after the first film's theatrical debut.