28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE First Photos Tease a ‘Bonkers’ New Chapter
The first look at 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has arrived, and it’s giving fans a wild preview of what’s next in this horror franchise. Serving as the sequel to 28 Years Later and the second entry in a planned trilogy, this film looks to crank up the madness with new faces, cults, and more infected chaos.
Rolling Stone unveiled four photos from the set. Two of them showcase Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson and Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson, both survivors from the last film.
Jack O’Connell also returns as Sir Jimmy Crystal, the cult leader with his loyal “Jimmies.” One of the photos even shows O’Connell walking alongside director Nia DaCosta.
The Bone Temple picks up shortly after the events of 28 Years Later, where Spike (played by Alfie Williams) crossed paths with Jimmy’s cult. Now Spike finds himself trapped among the Jimmies, who are barreling toward an inevitable clash with Dr. Kelson and Samson, the Alpha virus carrier.
DaCosta described the film as “bonkers,” while O’Connell teased that the story goes far beyond the usual heroes and villains. O’Connell told Rolling Stone:
“This film is the weird, deranged cousin to 28 Years Later, who you might be a bit ashamed of because they have weird, questionable interests. We see how much nature is the unstoppable force at the end of the day. Nature prevails.
“The world will take its natural course with or without humans. But I don’t think the infected are purely antagonists in our film. It definitely will make you consider that.”
This sequel is shaping up to question survival, morality, and what it really means to be human when the infected are no longer the only monsters to fear.
On top of all this, The Bone Temple is expected to feature Cillian Murphy reprising his iconic role as Jim from 28 Days Later, which is sure to have longtime fans hyped.
DaCosta directed from a script by Alex Garland, with Danny Boyle producing. Boyle previously directed both 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later, which was released in June, earned mostly positive reviews, and pulled in more than $150 million worldwide.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits theaters on January 16, 2026.
