Cillian Murphy is set to have a major role in the third instalment of the 28 Years Later franchise, with director Danny Boyle confirming the film is moving forward.
The Oscar-winning actor is expected to reprise his role as Jim, the character he first played in 2002’s 28 Days Later, after making a brief appearance in 2026 sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Boyle has now offered a fresh update on the long-awaited third film, confirming that a script has been written by Alex Garland and teasing a much bigger role for Murphy.
Will 28 Years Later Part 3 happen?
Likely so. Sony officially gave the third film the green light in December 2025, with Boyle likely to direct and Garland writing the screenplay.
The film forms the final part of a planned trilogy that began with 28 Years Later in 2025 and continued with The Bone Temple in 2026.
Boyle has now offered his strongest confirmation yet that the third film will happen.
“'28 Years 3,' or whatever it ends up being called, will get made because people keep asking about it,” he said while speaking at the Zurich Film Festival.
He added that Garland already has a script, describing it as “a very good script”.
Will Cillian Murphy be in 28 Years Later Part 3?
Yes, and Murphy is expected to have a significantly larger role than in The Bone Temple.
Murphy originated the role of Jim in 28 Days Later, playing a bicycle courier who wakes from a coma to find London almost completely deserted following the outbreak of the Rage virus.
He did not appear in the first 28 Years Later, but returned briefly as Jim in The Bone Temple.
Boyle has now confirmed that Murphy's character will be much more prominent in the third film.
“It will have a lot of Cillian Murphy in it,” the director said.
What will 28 Years Later Part 3 be about?
The plot has not been officially revealed.
The first two films have followed a new generation of survivors, with Alfie Williams' character Spike at the centre of the story.
28 Years Later established a Britain still struggling to survive almost three decades after the original Rage virus outbreak. The Bone Temple then expanded the story and brought Murphy's Jim back into the franchise.
The ending of the second film appears to set up a continuation involving Jim, Spike and the wider world created by the two films, but the details of the third instalment remain under wraps.
Garland has previously indicated that the films were designed to pass their stories from one chapter to the next, meaning the events of The Bone Temple are expected to have a direct impact on the final instalment.
Who is directing 28 Years Later Part 3?
Danny Boyle is likely to return to direct the third film.
Boyle directed the original 28 Days Later and returned to the franchise for 28 Years Later, while Nia DaCosta directed The Bone Temple.
Garland, who wrote the original film and the new trilogy, is writing Part 3.
The pair have worked together on the franchise since the first film, with Boyle also serving as a producer alongside Cillian Murphy and others.
When will 28 Years Later Part 3 be released?
A release date has not yet been announced.
The first film in the new trilogy, 28 Years Later, was released in 2025, followed by The Bone Temple in January 2026.
The third film is therefore likely to be some way off, with further details expected once production plans are confirmed.
For now, Boyle has given fans one major reason to look forward to the final chapter: Murphy's return as Jim in a much larger role.
Boyle also joked about whether the actor would be willing to repeat one particularly memorable aspect of his original performance, saying: “Whether he'll take his kit off anymore, that I don't know. He's got the Oscar now.”
