Director Danny Boyle reveals that he’s working on a third 28 Days Later movie with screenwriter Alex Garland. Released in 2002, Boyle and Garland’s original 28 Days Later brought a new freshness and energy to the zombie genre, and went on to become a sleeper hit with $82 million at the global box office against a modest budget of just $8 million. The film also went over well with critics, currently holding an 86 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
After the success of 28 Days Later, the film received a sequel in 2007’s 28 Weeks Later, with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo taking over as director. The film was not a huge box office hit, with just $64 million grossed worldwide, but it did take its place as another well-regarded zombie film with critics and currently holds a 71 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Though the zombie genre may not be as hot as it has been in the past, many fans still clamor for a third installment in the series Boyle kicked off almost two decades ago.
Now, it seems there’s good news for fans hoping for a third 28 Days Later movie. Speaking to Independent, Boyle revealed that he is indeed working on another story with Garland, and he thinks their idea for a third movie is a solid one. Boyle said:
"Alex Garland and I have a wonderful idea for the third part. It's properly good. The original film led to a bit of a resurgence in the zombie drama and it doesn't reference any of that. It doesn't feel stale at all. He's concentrating on directing his own work at the moment, so it's stood in abeyance really, but it's a you-never-know."
Boyle’s revelation comes as an especially good development as a year ago, Garland himself seemed to shoot down the idea of another 28 Days Later movie ever happening. At the time, Garland said he “doubted” a third movie would come together, even though he acknowledged that he “kind of” had plans for another story. Compared to Garland’s rather vague and discouraging statement, Boyle’s remark about a “properly good” idea is highly encouraging, and it now seems that the only thing standing in the way of the movie happening is Garland’s focus on his own directorial pursuits.
Known for directing the acclaimed sci-fi films Ex Machina and Annihilation, Garland indeed has a big project coming up in Devs, a TV series that has been picked up by FX and is set to premiere sometime in 2019. For his part, Boyle has the Beatles-inspired indie film Yesterday hitting theaters, and after that his dance card appears to be open. One thing Boyle won’t be tackling is another big-budget Hollywood franchise film after he dropped out of James Bond 25 over creative differences.
As of now, it seems far from a sure thing that Boyle and Garland’s good idea for a third 28 Days Later film will ever come to fruition. But at least there appears to be a chance, assuming Boyle and Garland can align their schedules and get things moving in the right direction.
Source: Independent
