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Danny Boyle will helm the first follow-up movie in the horror franchise after directing the 2002 original.
By Ryan Gajewski
Senior Entertainment Reporter
Nia DaCosta is headed to the 28 Years Later franchise.
The filmmaker, who helmed last year’s The Marvels, is in talks to direct the second film in Sony’s upcoming horror trilogy, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Danny Boyle, the director behind the 2002 original movie 28 Days Later, is returning to helm the first sequel film from writer Alex Garland, who penned the first feature.
THR previously reported exclusively that the long-gestating feature follow-up, in addition to a second film, had landed at Sony Pictures, with Garland penning both scripts. At the time, THR reported that Cillian Murphy, who starred in 28 Days Later and won the Oscar earlier this year for his titular role in Oppenheimer, is set to serve as executive producer for the new project and could potentially appear in it.
DaCosta has horror experience as the filmmaker behind Candyman, from Universal and Jason Blum. Her sequel to that 1992 original of the same name hit theaters in 2021 and starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo.
28 Days Later centered on Murphy as a coma patient who awakens alone in a hospital and learns that the world was overtaken by the undead 28 days prior. The movie surpassed $80 million at the global box office and was followed by the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, although Boyle and Garland were involved only as executive producers.
DaCosta, who made her feature directorial debut with 2019’s Little Woods, also directs Hedda, the forthcoming feature adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen play Hedda Gabler from Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures. The film stars Tessa Thompson in the title role and does not yet have a release date.
Deadline was first to report the news of DaCosta eyeing 28 Years Later.
Borys Kit contributed to this report.
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