The news broke earlier this year that the director (Danny Boyle) and writer (Alex Garland) behind 2002’s horror hit 28 Days Later are joining forces yet again for a long-awaited sequel (and potential trilogy), and we may now know who will play the lead roles.
According to reliable insider Daniel Richtman, Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Free Guy) and Charlie Hunnam (Rebel Moon, The Gentlemen) are in talks to star in 28 Years Later.
We don't have any more details at this time, but if Comer and Hunnam do wind up signing on, they will likely star alongside recent Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy, who has strongly hinted that he does intend to reprise his role as the original movie's protagonist, Jim.
28 Days Later was a massive success, and already spawned one less well-regarded (but still well worth watching) follow-up in 2007's 28 Weeks Later. Boyle and Garland were only involved as executive producers on that project, so a lot of fans are sure to view this new movie as the first true sequel.
Boyle is attached to direct the first instalment, while Garland would write all three. The budget for each movie is said to be in the $75 million range.
The first film starred Murphy as a man who wakes from a coma after a bicycle accident to find that England has been overrun by "The Infected." The virus turns its victims into raging killers, but unlike the usual "zombies," these creatures can move with frightening speed. The man then sets out to learn what's been going on, meeting fellow survivors played by Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson along the way, as well as a deranged army major played by Christopher Eccleston.
Plot details for 28 Years Later are still under wraps, but the timeframe would suggest that it will take place in a near-future setting, which means the movie might lean more towards sci-fi than straight-up horror.
What do you make of this rumor? Are you excited for more 28 Days movies, or do you think too much time has passed? Check out the trailer for the original below, and be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place.
"A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma a month after, he finds his city all but deserted. On the run from the zombie-like victims of the Rage, Jim stumbles upon a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) and cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and joins them on a perilous journey to what he hopes will be safety."