28 Years Later director Danny Boyle has revealed exactly when the new trilogy will bring back Cillian Murphy's Jim.
Murphy rose to fame after playing Jim in Boyle's 2002 apocalyptic horror movie 28 Days Later and it was recently confirmed that the actor would not be returning for the upcoming sequel.
Speaking to IGN, Boyle outlined his plans for the trilogy, confirming that Jim will return for the second movie in the trilogy 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and a third movie, if it goes ahead.
Describing the first instalment, Boyle said that the trilogy will "have connecting characters" and that Spike, the 12-year-old lead played by Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later, will be a key player in the story.
"He will run right way through the films," Boyle said. "We've shot the first two back-to-back, and that was for logistical reasons, actor availability reasons, and for story reasons as well. They're literally continuous."
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Speaking about the final film in the trilogy, Boyle said that Murphy is "standing by" for a third film, which is dependent on how the first two films perform.
"We haven't got the money for the third one yet. It will depend how the first one does, I guess. But hopefully if we do ok, they'll give us the go-ahead for the money and for the third one," he said, adding: "Everybody's standing by for that, really. Including Cillian."
Keeping the exact nature of Murphy's return in The Bone Temple a secret, Boyle revealed that the Peaky Blinders star will be making an appearance in the film, which is set for release on 16 January 2026.
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"He is in the second one," Boyle said of the second film, which will see The Marvels director Nia DaCosta take over as director. "I shouldn't give away too much. I'll get killed," he quipped.
Boyle previously confirmed that Murphy would not be making an appearance in the first film of the new trilogy, though he is on board as an executive producer.
28 Years Later is released in cinemas on 20 June, 2025.
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
