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There have been many zombie movies over the years, but nothing compares to the 28 Days Later franchise (even though they aren't technically zombies). Twenty-six years after the release of the original film directed by Academy Award-winning Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award-nominated Alex Garland, the third installment, 28 Years Later, is coming to theaters on June 20th.
The trailer premiered on Thursday, and in less than 15 hours, it has 2.4 million views on YouTube and is #2 on trending, so it's safe to say people are excited. It's set in the same world created in 28 Years Later.
28 Years Later's trailer leaves viewers wanting more. "It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected," reads the description.
"One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well," it continues.
How the franchise started
28 Days Later was released in 2002 and kicked things off with Cillian Murphy waking up in an empty London after a virus outbreak called "Rage" ravaged the UK.
It turns humans into mindless, fast, aggressive beings that aren't technically dead, which is why they aren't zombies. The virus doesn't kill people and bring them back to life, it just takes over living humans within seconds of exposure. They are alive the entire time.
It's a distinction Boyle made clear from the original film. "I’m not a zombie fan, to be absolutely honest. But Alex was very knowledgeable about them," he said in an interview with Inverse.
Garland's script was inspired by real-world issues like rage and societal violence, rather than supernatural elements. "There were extraordinary stories of road rage — social intolerance of each other. Then we found all these photographs of the medical stages of rabies. We replicated that in the look of people," he told the outlet.
The sequel, 28 Weeks Later, came out in 2007. It was set six months after the first film and followed attempts to repopulate London under military control. Things go sideways, and the virus spreads again. It leaned more into action than the original and starred Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, and Idris Elba. While it didn’t hit quite as hard as the first one, it still has a loyal fan base.
28 Years Later stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie, Jack O'Connell takes on the role of Sir Jimmy Crystal, and Ralph Fiennes appears as Dr. Kelson. It also stars Jodie Comer, Emma Laird, Erin Kellyman, Edvin Ryding, Alfie Williams, Christopher Fulford, Robert Rhodes, and more.