Fake Hype? 28 Years Later 3 Reportedly Moving Forward

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Just as the release of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple approaches in a few weeks, news has surfaced that Sony is officially developing a third film in the series.

But is this real news, or just a strategic marketing ploy?

According to Deadline, audiences have reacted very positively to The Bone Temple at recent test screenings, leading Sony to approve a third film. Cillian Murphy is reportedly being considered to reprise his role, and Alex Garland is writing the script. Director Danny Boyle is also potentially returning for the project.

Timing Seems Convenient

This announcement is perfectly timed to generate excitement for The Bone Temple, which will be released on January 16, 2026.

It smells a lot like damage control, especially after the first film underperformed.

The film 28 Years Later earned $151 million globally. However, it needed to make between $150 and $187.5 million just to cover its costs, so Sony only narrowly avoided a loss.

Movie studios rarely approve sequels to films that barely make back their costs, especially not to those that probably lost money after marketing and distribution expenses were taken into account. (A sequel to Bone Temple was already being planned, so this is particularly noteworthy.)

The DaCosta Factor

Adding to the challenges, the director of The Bone Temple, Nia DaCosta, recently had a major box office disappointment with her previous film, The Marvels. Reports indicate it lost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars.

This makes it hard to feel optimistic about how well the next movie will do financially, or whether the series will continue to be successful in the future.

Is It Really Greenlit?

As reported by Deadline, Sony Pictures always had the possibility of making a third film. This wasn’t a recent decision; they owned the rights from the beginning.

It seems they’re building excitement for the movie now, ahead of the second film’s release, and it feels more like a publicity strategy than a genuine show of faith in the project.

I’ve been following Alex Garland’s work closely, and he mentioned in Variety that a third movie would really only happen if the first two did well enough to warrant a complete trilogy. Unfortunately, that hasn’t quite panned out so far, so it doesn’t seem like a third film is in the works right now. I’m still hoping, though!

The announcement of “28 Years Later 3” seems less like a genuine commitment to the series and more like a way to promote the book The Bone Temple.

What went wrong? I go over it here.

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2025-12-11 05:01