The first trailer for28 Years Laterhas been released. The long-awaited upcoming horror sequel reunites original28 Days Laterdirector Danny Boyle with screenwriter Alex Garland, in addition to bringing back Cillian Murphy who will reprise his role as Jim from the breakout 2002 film. The Oscar winner is also executive producing28 Years Later, joined in the cast by Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Erin Kellyman, and Edvin Ryding. It is slated to be the first of anew28 Yearstrilogy, with the next installment directed by Nia DaCosta.
Ahead ofthe film’s release in theaters on August 18, 2025,Sony Pictureshas unveiled the first trailer for28 Years Later. The trailer clocks in at roughly two minutes, starting off with a group of children watching television. It’s not long before terror sets in, with the film’s first extended preview offering glimpses of Johnson, Comer, Fiennes, and multiple new examples of infected.
The trailer’s release also comes with an official synopsis, which underlines that it has been three decades since the virus broke out. With a quarantine that’s ruthlessly enforced,some have been able to live amongst the infected. Read more below:
It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.
A grim new poster was shared via the28 Years LaterInstagramaccount, which shows a severed head that could also belong to Murphy’s character, Jim, with the ominous warning: “In 28 years, it has evolved.”
What The New 28 Years Later Trailer Reveals About The Movie
Things Haven’t Gotten Better In Three Decades
The first trailer, as is often the case with big blockbusters, does its best to evoke a mood. It starts with kids watchingTeletubbieson an old television, but that relative bliss is turned upside down and one of the children is soon heard screaming. Accompanied by the constant voiceover repetition of “there’s no discharge in the war,” it seems like the situation is far worse than it was during the original film.
28 Years Laterwas shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, with specialized attachments, and28 Days Later’s Anthony Dod Mantle returns as cinematographer.
Taylor-Johnson(Kick-Ass,Tenet)is glimpsed most frequently in the trailer, often with a younger companion (played by Alfie Williams). There is little dialogue in the preview, but their bond is likely central to the plot, considering how Johnson has said thatWilliams is actually the lead of28 Years Later. Comer (Killing Eve,The Last Duel) is also seen taking care of a child. As for Fiennes, who starred recently in the potential Oscar contenderConclave, his character looks the most distressed and worse for wear. He’s shown bloodied and in the close vicinity of a structure made of bones and skulls.
28 Years Later Promises The Perfect Balance With Cillian Murphy’s Role
By confirming that Cillian Murphy is returning as Jim, 28 Years Later already promises it is taking the right balanced approach towards its story.
Perhaps the most interesting shot in the trailer is not any of the confirmed actors. It is, at least at this point, somewhat speculative. It showsa skeletal zombie rising from the fields, and the zombie happens to look a lot like Cillian Murphy. It’s a particularly notable inclusion since theOppenheimerOscar winner’s on-screen involvement has been kept under wraps, and it’s unclear how Jim will return.
Our Take On The New 28 Years Later Trailer
It’s Both Effective & Secretive
Because of the marketing cycle of big blockbusters, a common complaint about modern movie trailers is that they reveal too much. This either means they give away some of the movie’s best moments or, even worse, that they more or less reveal the film’s general structure and climax. This may end up being the case with the long-awaited Danny Boyle sequel. But, for now, the first preview is an effective introduction to thenew28 Years Latercastand perhaps a tragic tease of what’s in store for the film’s returning star.
