28 Weeks Later

28 Weeks Later

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	May 11, 2007 (2007-05-11)
Founder	Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (director)
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Post-apocalyptic horror film
Parent	20th Century Fox, Fox Atomic

28 Weeks Later is a 2007 post-apocalyptic horror movie directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who collaborated on the screenplay alongside Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne, and Jesus Olmo. Serving as an independent sequel to 28 Days Later (2002), it represents the second chapter in the film franchise. The cast includes Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, and Idris Elba. Set a little over half a year following the events of the original film, the story centers on NATO forces led by the United States striving to establish a secure zone within London. Their efforts are compromised when two siblings defy orders in search of a photograph of their mother, inadvertently causing the Rage Virus to resurface.

The film was released on 11 May 2007 in both the UK and US markets through 20th Century Fox and Fox Atomic, respectively. It garnered favorable reviews from critics and earned more than $72.3 million globally. A continuation titled 28 Years Later premiered on 20 June 2025.

Plot

At the onset of the Rage Virus outbreak, Donald "Don" Harris, his wife Alice, and four other survivors take refuge inside a fortified cottage near London, where they allow a young boy to enter. The infected trail the boy back to the cottage, breach its defenses, and kill everyone inside. Alice searches upstairs for the boy; despite Don’s insistence to abandon him, she refuses and becomes trapped while Don escapes by boat.

Once the infected succumb to starvation, NATO assumes control over Great Britain and initiates reconstruction efforts. Twenty-eight weeks later, US military forces under Brigadier General Stone relocate settlers and refugees into District One, a protected safe zone located on the Isle of Dogs. Don reunites with his children Tammy and Andy, who had been overseas during the outbreak, but conceals the truth about their mother’s condition. Sergeant Doyle, a Delta Force sniper, is assigned to guard District One.

Tammy and Andy secretly leave the safe zone to retrieve a photograph of Alice from their former home. There, they discover Alice alive yet disoriented; military personnel escort all three back to District One. Alice undergoes quarantine and medical evaluation by Scarlet, a US Army doctor, revealing that she is an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. Don defies protocol by visiting Alice, kisses her—contracting the infection through saliva—then brutally murders her before launching into a violent rampage.

Believing Tammy and Andy might share Alice’s genetic resistance and thus hold potential for a cure, Scarlet rescues them from isolation. Don’s contagion spreads rapidly, resulting in numerous casualties among civilians and soldiers alike. General Stone orders mass executions without discrimination; Doyle refuses these orders and assists survivors in escaping. After eliminating a sniper targeting their group, Doyle flees District One alongside Scarlet, Tammy, Andy, and another survivor named Sam. As US Air Force firebombs target the zone, Don pursues them into London.

Soldier Flynn arrives at Regent's Park intending to extract Doyle but instructs him to leave the others behind. As infected close in, Sam clings to Flynn’s helicopter but becomes infected when Flynn uses rotor blades to fend off attackers. Flynn directs Doyle to rendezvous alone at Wembley Stadium; however, Doyle chooses to keep the group together. They break into an abandoned Volvo V70 in an attempt to avoid nerve gas but fail to start it. While pushing the vehicle, Doyle is fatally burned by approaching soldiers wielding flamethrowers.

Using night vision rifle optics for cover against aerial gunfire in the London Underground, Scarlet and the children evade their pursuers. Don ambushes them there, killing Scarlet and biting Andy. Tammy shoots Don dead as Andy becomes an asymptomatic carrier like Alice before him. Tammy and Andy pledge mutual support and make their way toward Wembley Stadium where Flynn reluctantly agrees to fly them to France.

Twenty-eight days later, a French voice heard over radio calls for assistance near Flynn’s abandoned helicopter. Infected individuals emerge from a Paris Métro station close to the Eiffel Tower, indicating that the virus has spread into mainland Europe.

Development and writing

Following the worldwide acclaim of the 2002 horror hit 28 Days Later, director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter Alex Garland initiated plans for a follow-up four years later. Macdonald highlighted that the film’s strong reception in the American market created a promising opportunity to engage an eager audience.

In March 2005, Boyle revealed he would step down from directing due to his commitment to Sunshine, yet he stayed involved as an executive producer. He explained that the sequel would explore the consequences after the original story, focusing on the US Army’s declaration of victory over the infection and their efforts toward national recovery. Boyle then brought on board Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to infuse a fresh creative vision. Fresnadillo, known for his 2001 movie Intacto and a period spent directing commercials, was coming off a filmmaking break.

Fresnadillo felt the initial script’s family storyline lacked depth and collaborated with Enrique López-Lavigne and Jesús Olmo to redevelop it. Although initially unimpressed by the draft, they preserved its central theme of a family attempting to rebuild in the post-outbreak world. This rewriting phase extended nearly a year, with additional contributions from Garland.

Casting

In March 2005, Boyle confirmed that the sequel would introduce an entirely new ensemble, as previous cast members Cillian Murphy, Megan Burns, and Naomie Harris were engaged in separate projects. By September 2006, actors including Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Catherine McCormack, Harold Perrineau, Imogen Poots, Idris Elba, Mackintosh Muggleton, and Jeremy Renner had officially joined the cast.

To enhance the physical intensity of the infected characters, extras were chosen based on their expertise in movement arts such as ballet, dance, gymnastics, circus performance, and mime.

Filming

Principal photography for 28 Weeks Later commenced on 1 September 2006 in London. Key sequences were filmed at Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs, which served as the setting for the film’s designated safe zone.

The production took place both on location around London and at 3 Mills Studios. Due to ongoing reconstruction at Wembley Stadium, scenes originally planned there were instead shot at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in Wales. Danny Boyle, credited as executive producer and original 28 Days Later director, helmed several important scenes including the opening sequence featuring Robert Carlyle.

Graphic novel

In July 2006, Fox Atomic Comics partnered with HarperCollins to announce the release of 28 Days Later: The Aftermath in 2007—a graphic novel designed to connect the narratives of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Motion comic adaptations of two chapters were included in the DVD and Blu-ray editions of 28 Weeks Later.

Biohazard warning

On 13 April 2007, exactly 28 days before its UK theatrical debut, a large biohazard symbol accompanied by a warning message declaring the UK "contaminated, keep out!" was projected onto the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.

Release

28 Weeks Later debuted on 11 May 2007, distributed in the United Kingdom by 20th Century Fox and in the United States by Fox Atomic.

Home media

In the US market, the movie sold 1.3 million DVD copies, earning $25.3 million in revenue. It was made available both as an individual DVD and as part of a double feature alongside 28 Days Later.

Box office

Launching in 2,000 theaters across the United States, the film brought in $9.8 million during its opening weekend, securing the second spot behind Spider-Man 3. Its domestic gross reached $28.6 million, with an international haul of $43.7 million, culminating in a global total of $72.3 million.

Critical response

View London praised it as an "exciting, action-packed and superbly directed thriller that more than lives up to the original". A. O. Scott of The New York Times described the movie as "brutal and almost exhaustingly terrifying, as any respectable zombie movie should be," while also commending its intelligent concepts and craftsmanship.

Derek Elley from Variety labeled it "a full-bore zombie romp that more than delivers the genre goods".

The film is featured on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 Best Zombie Movies, ranked by Tomatometer.

Alex Garland, who wrote 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later, reflected on the film as a valuable "early lesson...in the difference in making something in a kind of enthusiastic, non-cynical way" compared to projects driven primarily by commercial motives.

Soundtrack

Composed, written, and performed by John Murphy, the soundtrack was initially released exclusively on iTunes on 12 June 2007. A limited physical edition followed on 2 June 2009 through La-La Land Records, with only 1,500 copies produced.

Sequel

In June 2007, Fox Atomic suggested that a third installment could be developed depending on the home video release’s financial performance. By July of that year, Boyle had confirmed having a story outline prepared for this follow-up. However, by October 2010, Garland cited complications related to film rights that were causing delays. Boyle remained hopeful about progress in January 2011 but expressed doubts by April 2013. In January 2015, Garland confirmed that despite obstacles in development, serious talks were underway with a script tentatively named 28 Months Later.

Boyle confirmed in June 2019 that he and Garland were actively collaborating on the third film. Actors Imogen Poots and Cillian Murphy expressed interest in reprising their roles during 2020 and 2021 respectively. By June 2023, Boyle and Garland announced plans to move forward with production under the new title 28 Years Later.

Official development for 28 Years Later began in January 2024 as the first entry in a new trilogy. Boyle is set to direct the initial movie with Garland penning the screenplay and handling scripts for subsequent sequels. Producers include Boyle, Garland, Andrew Macdonald, and Peter Rice. By March 2024, Garland confirmed he was writing all three sequels and noted that Kes had significantly influenced his approach to this project. Sony Pictures released the first trailer in December 2024 ahead of the film’s scheduled premiere on 20 June 2025.