Cillian Murphy returning in 28 Days Later sequel? “I’m available”
During an interview lasting almost 90 minutes for SAG-AFTRA Fondation dating from December 2023, Cillian Murphy already mentioned his availability for a sequel.
Interviewed for the Sag-Aftra Foundation, Cillian Murphynominated for an Oscar for his role as a physicist in Oppenheimerspoke about the decisive role in his acting career: that of Jim in 28 days later (available on PremièreMax) from Danny Boyle.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t really know we were making a zombie movie.” noted the actor, adding that he had not seen the work of Romero (Night of the Living Dead).
At the start of 2024, it was announced that Danny Boyle And Alex Garland were indeed planning to reiterate their collaboration in 2024 to work on a new sequel, 28 years later, which will aim to launch a brand new trilogy. Although recorded in December 2023, the interview is timely, since since January, we have known that Cillian Murphy will participate in the first opus of the trilogy as a producer.
Will he confine himself to production, or will he make a comeback in apocalyptic fiction as an actor?
Recalling then the happy outcome for Jim’s life at the end of 28 days later, Cillian Murphy already announced in December “be available” for a potential sequel. Without saying more, the actor spoke of his horrific experience through a character affected by a nightmarish awakening, after 28 days in a coma, following a virus that devastated society.
“It was the time of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and there was all this air rage. So I never felt like it was a zombie movie. And I’m glad I didn’t watch Romero’s films because I didn’t know how sacred those films were.”
Here is the nearly 90-minute interview:
Cillian Murphy also noted that at the time it was not a popular genre of film:
“Before 28 days later, there weren’t many zombie movies. It was kind of undead. That Danny and Alex revived”
He recalls the audition process for the role of Tim with nostalgia, noting that he was a fan of David Boyle for his films, Small murders between friends And Trainspotting.
“They were training films for me, he confides. I remember going to see them in the cinema, they were huge for me. So I desperately wanted to play in 28 Days Later.”
The actor of Breakfast on Pluto estimated he auditioned six times for the role, and he remembers the excitement of filming the zombie movie. Particularly for the collaboration with the Irish actor Brendan Gleesoneven if he had already toured with him in a brief role -for The Tale of Sweety Barrett in 1998- diving back into a project with this legend of Irish cinema was an honor:
“I remember on that film I had to pour him a pint of Guinness. My hand was shaking, but he was so kind. I was just a kid (…) I’ve worked with him five or six times now and he’s one of my all-time heroes and the kindest, gentlest man – that’s an absolute legend“.
According to The Hollywood Reporterthe project 28 years later landed in the hands of Sony. The studio won after a long bidding war with Warner Bros.
After Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy’s next role is revealed
