Nocturnal 
Danny Boyle has given his clearest update yet on the future of 28 Years Later, insisting the third and final film in the franchise “will get made” – and that it’ll come loaded with Cillian Murphy.
Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival, where he was presenting his new media drama Ink, the director told the audience: “’28 Years 3,’ or whatever it ends up being called, will get made because people keep asking about it. Quite when I’m not sure, but there’s a script – a very good script by Alex Garland.”
He then addressed just how big Murphy’s role will be, as first reported by Variety. “[It will have] a lot of Cillian Murphy in it,” Boyle said. “Whether he’ll take his kit off anymore, that I don’t know. He’s got the Oscar now.”
Jim’s big comeback
Murphy originated the role of Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes from a coma to find London deserted, in the original 28 Days Later back in 2002. He didn’t appear in 2025’s 28 Years Later, but made a brief, uncredited return as Jim at the end of this year’s The Bone Temple, as noted by HuffPost UK.
According to the London Evening Standard, Sony gave the third film the green light back in December 2025, with Garland writing and Boyle expected to direct. However, the studio has yet to officially confirm the project is definitely going ahead, and Boyle’s Zurich comments mark his strongest public backing of it so far.
There’s reason for caution, though. The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta, took just $58.5 million worldwide – a fraction of the $151 million banked by the first film, according to Yahoo. DaCosta has since suggested the sequel may have landed too soon after the original, telling Empire earlier this year that audiences seemed confused about whether it was even a new film.
Boyle’s Bond pick
Boyle also used the Zurich masterclass to wade into the ongoing James Bond casting debate, backing his Ink star Jack O’Connell for the role of 007. “They should cast Jack O’Connell as Bond,” he said, according to mxdwn Movies, praising the actor’s ability to play morally murky characters audiences still root for.
Boyle knows the Bond world well – he left 2021’s No Time to Die over creative differences with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, as well as star Daniel Craig. “When they asked me to do Bond, we came up with the story [with John Hodge] and they lost confidence in it. It’s a shame, because it could have been really good,” he said, as reported by Variety.
He did, however, praise the direction the franchise is reportedly heading in under Denis Villeneuve, calling him “amazing” and pointing to preview footage of Dune: Part Three.
Where things stand
For now, 28 Years Later Part 3 remains unconfirmed by Sony despite Boyle, Murphy and Garland all reportedly keen to finish the trilogy. The James Bond casting, meanwhile, is still pure speculation – O’Connell has not been officially linked to the role beyond Boyle’s endorsement. Fans will have to wait for official word from the studios on both fronts.
