What's the Deal with the '28 Years Later' Sequel, 'Bone Temple'?

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days/Weeks Later sequel arrived over the weekend to what I’d charitably call polarizing reviews from both critics (89 percent RT score) and audiences (64 percent RT score). Jason was among the minority of critics who were critical of the film. Among those on staff who have seen and discussed it, the reception has been mixed as well—ranging from “underwhelming” to what I’d call muted enthusiasm. Personally, I agreed with Jason’s assessment — that it was a patchwork of stories and the pacing was all over the place — but I kind of loved it anyway, even though it wasn’t necessarily what I wanted: a frenetic, fast-paced zombie gorefest.

There was a hint of that, however, in the film’s final moments, which set up the sequel: 28 Years Later: Bone Temple, scheduled to hit theaters in January 2026. It comes from Nia DaCosta, who insists it will not be a Danny Boyle film, but a Nia DaCosta film, which is good or bad, depending on what you thought of her version of Candyman or her MCU flick, The Marvels (which I genuinely enjoyed).

While I ultimately appreciated the more contemplative 28 Years Later, I hope Bone Temple continues the pace established in the film’s final moments, which saw Jack O’Connell’s Sir Jimmy Crystal — the leader of some sort of Jimmy cult — go full Clockwork Orange on a bunch of zombies. I thought the final sequence was exhilarating.

Jack O’Connell will return, along with other members of the Jimmy cult, including Emma Laird’s Jimmima. While we don’t know exactly what will transpire, the sequel will involve not only the cult but also the return of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Jamie, a scavenger in search of his son, Spike (Alfie Williams), who ran away from home at the end of the original (Spike is also obviously returning).

Better still, Ralph Fiennes will reprise his role as Dr. Ian Kelson — an eccentric and reclusive doctor (and genuinely the highlight of the first film) — as well as the Alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), who is basically an unstoppable infected human.

While I do hope for more zombie killing, DaCosta — working from Alex Garland’s script — will also explore themes of violence versus humanity, framed by the tension between the Jimmy cult and Dr. Kelson. The “Bone Temple” in the title refers to the shrine Kelson builds to honor the dead, both infected and non-infected. The pregnant Alpha’s baby will also speak to the evolution of the virus.

Oh, and yes: Cillian Murphy’s character from the originals will return, too, in some capacity.

28 Years Later: Bone Temple will hit theaters on January 16, 2026. Hopefully, we’ll see a trailer soon. The film is the second part of a planned trilogy, filmed back-to-back with the original, although the third film has not yet officially been greenlit. The $60 million worldwide gross from the opening weekend (on a $30 million budget) strongly suggests that it will be.