The long-awaited next chapter in the acclaimed British horror franchise, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, arrives in cinemas across the United Kingdom on January 14. Audiences in the United States will follow on January 16. This instalment continues the story directly from the 2025 blockbuster, 28 Years Later, making prior knowledge essential for viewers.
What You Must Know From 28 Years Later (2025)
To fully appreciate the new film, understanding the events of its immediate predecessor is key. 28 Years Later was shot back-to-back with The Bone Temple and introduced a new cast led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and newcomer Alfie Williams. Both Fiennes and Williams reprise their roles in the upcoming sequel.
The 2025 film centred on Spike (Alfie Williams), a boy growing up in a quarantined, post-apocalyptic Britain. The British Isles remain sealed off indefinitely due to the Rage Virus, which transforms humans into frenzied, aggressive killers. Spike lives with his parents, Jamie (Taylor-Johnson) and Isla (Comer), in a fortified community on Lindisfarne, an island protected by a tidal causeway.
During a coming-of-age hunt with his father, Spike becomes stranded by a pack of infected led by a smarter, stronger 'Alpha'. After a harrowing escape, Spike's disillusionment grows when his father exaggerates their story. This fracture widens when Spike discovers his father's affair.
Spike then flees Lindisfarne with his ailing mother, Isla, seeking out an eccentric doctor in the wilderness, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). In a devastating turn, Kelson diagnoses Isla with incurable brain cancer, and she requests euthanasia. Emotionally shattered and unwilling to return home, Spike remains on the mainland where he encounters a sinister gang, styled after Jimmy Savile, who demonstrate a brutal method of killing the infected.
The Bone Temple: Cast, Connections & Returning Legacy
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple expands this grim universe. The cast features Jack O'Connell, who appeared as gang leader Jimmy in the final scenes of the last film, alongside Erin Kellyman and Chi Lewis-Parry.
In a major nod to franchise origins, Cillian Murphy is confirmed to return as Jim, his iconic character from the original 2002 film, 28 Days Later. This bridges the narrative across the entire saga, connecting the initial outbreak with the evolved world depicted nearly three decades later.
Preparing for the Next Chapter of Apocalyptic Horror
With its direct narrative continuation and returning characters, The Bone Temple is positioned as a true sequel to the 2025 film rather than a standalone entry. The film promises to explore the consequences of Spike's choices and delve deeper into the mutated hierarchy of the infected, including the ominous 'Alphas'.
For UK horror fans, the release marks a significant moment, bringing one of the country's most influential genre franchises back to the big screen with a story deeply rooted in the aftermath and societal collapse first envisioned over two decades ago.
