Striking New ’28 Years Later’ Poster and Stills Ahead of June Release

Horror News
Emily Bennett
May 7, 2025
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5 minutes read

Sony Pictures has unveiled a new poster and a set of stills for 28 Years Later, the long-awaited third instalment in the 28 Days Later series. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the film sees the pair return to the franchise they launched over two decades ago, reigniting the rage virus saga with an entirely new cast of characters and a fresh post-apocalyptic setting.

Set for release in cinemas on 20 June 2025, the film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes, with support from Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams and newcomer Erin Kellyman. Cillian Murphy, who led the 2002 original, is not returning on screen but is attached as executive producer. The film was shot in the UK, primarily in the North East and Yorkshire regions, with production wrapping in July 2024.

28 Years Later picks up decades after the events of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. The rage virus, though long contained under quarantine, still lingers in pockets of Britain. Survivors have adapted, some finding refuge on isolated islands, including a fortified community connected to the mainland by a single causeway. When a member of the community ventures inland, he discovers that the virus is not the only threat that has evolved.

Jodie Comer plays Isla, a pregnant survivor on the island, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson takes on the role of Jamie, a scavenger and Isla’s husband. Their young son Spike, played by Alfie Williams, adds a further emotional dimension to the couple’s desperate fight for survival. Ralph Fiennes appears as Dr. Kelson, a character whose past holds secrets about the virus and its mutations.

Shot largely on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the film blends low-fi techniques with high-impact visuals. Anthony Dod Mantle, who also worked on 28 Days Later, returns as cinematographer, reuniting the original creative team. Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, known for her Oscar-winning work on Joker, is scoring the film and its already confirmed sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta.

The release of the first trailer in December 2024 generated significant online attention, using a 1915 recital of Rudyard Kipling’s poem Boots to eerie effect. The trailer’s rapid popularity prompted Sony to reissue 28 Days Later on digital platforms, after a prolonged absence.

Although long in development, 28 Years Later signals a deliberate shift in tone. Described as an “auteur horror” project, the film draws on the bleakness of British social realism while reimagining the infected for a new generation. The production has deliberately avoided direct continuation of previous characters, instead opting to explore the psychological toll of long-term survival in a decaying world.

The film is also being positioned as the first entry in a new trilogy. Boyle and Garland will remain involved across the planned sequels, with Garland already at work on scripts for future instalments.

With expectations running high and a creative team that includes several of the original architects of the franchise, 28 Years Later is shaping up to be a major cinematic event in the summer horror calendar.