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Photograph: (Image Courtesy: SYFY)
More than twenty years ago, '28 Days Later' breathed new life into the zombie movie landscape. The film, which starred Cillian Murphy as Jim—a bicycle courier who wakes from a coma to find himself among the few survivors of a virus-ravaged UK—helped redefine the genre for a new generation.
The film came together through the longstanding collaboration between screenwriter Alex Garland, director Danny Boyle, and producer Andrew Macdonald, who had previously worked on the 2000 adaptation of Garland’s novel 'The Beach'. Garland, who had been a fan of George Romero’s 'Night of the Living Dead' since his teenage years, reportedly pitched the concept of fast-moving zombies during a casual pizza outing with Macdonald. He explained that the inspiration partly came from the 1996 video game 'Resident Evil', specifically its fast-moving zombie dogs, which prompted him to imagine a film where the undead moved swiftly. Garland worked on five drafts of the script with Macdonald before the producer eventually brought it to Boyle.
The film was being shot in London during the 9/11 attacks, and Danny Boyle later reflected that the pervasive sense of unease at the time inevitably seeped into the film’s tone. The cast was rounded out by Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and Christopher Eccleston. Upon its release by Fox Searchlight on 27th June 2003, '28 Days Later' earned $74 million worldwide—equivalent to roughly $130 million today. A retrospective by The Hollywood Reporter highlighted how the film used the concept of the infected to explore the breakdown of social order.
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Boyle and Garland Reunite for ‘28 Years Later’ Sequel
Although Boyle and Garland were only credited as producers on the 2007 sequel, '28 Weeks Later', the pair have returned to their original roles for the upcoming Sony release '28 Years Later', with Boyle directing and Garland writing. The new film, releasing on 20th June, features a cast that includes Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes.
Boyle, who has attended packed anniversary screenings over the years, shared that the film's enduring popularity likely stemmed from its bold concept and execution. He added that the continued fan interest prompted them to consider whether the story had more to explore—and thus, the next chapter was born.
