28 Years Later Will Star A Trio Of Unexpected (And Kind Of Amazing) Actors
Danny Boyle's lo-fi 2002 zombie apocalypse film "28 Days Later" caused a stir in the horror community for its grainy digital photography (shot by Anthony Dod Mantle) and for its introduction of "fast zombies" into the pop vernacular. The zombies in "28 Days Later" were, unlike most movie zombies seen up to that point, fast-moving and vicious rather than mindless and shambling. It is credited for breathing new life into the zombie genre, followed as it was by other zombie hits like the "Dawn of the Dead" remake, George Romero's "Land of the Dead," and the hit 2010 series "The Walking Dead." "28 Days Later" also tapped into a lot of America's post-9/11 ennui, presenting hard-edged images of urban desolation. Everyone felt like the world had ended, and Boyle aesthetically agreed.
"28 Days Later," penned by "Civil War" director Alex Garland, was followed by a sequel in 2007 called "28 Weeks Later," which, as the title suggests, merely extended the timeline of the apocalypse. That film was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and Garland and Boyle served as executive producers. "28 Weeks Later" ended with the revelation that the zombie virus had spread from its flashpoint in England to mainland Europe. It's all very bleak.
Both films have sported large casts of impressive actors. "Days" featured Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Naomie Harris, and Christopher Eccleston. "Weeks" featured Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, Idris Elba, Imogen Poots, and Catherine McCormack.
In January, it was announced that Boyle and Garland would reteam to direct and write (respectively) "28 Years Later," a film set to examine the Earth after several generations of zombie infiltration. According to a new article in Deadline, the filmmakers have settled on their cast. "28 Years Later" will feature Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jodie Comer.
It's been 28 years...
The story for "28 Years Later" has not yet been revealed, nor have details about what sorts of roles Johnson, Fiennes, and Comer will be playing. This will be the first time any of the actors will be working with Danny Boyle who has previously worked with all-star casts. It will also be Boyle's first horror film since "Days." While audiences may be eager to see a follow-up, it's a pity that Boyle couldn't have waited until 2030 to release his film, ensuring that it, too, would have come 28 years later.
Taylor-Johnson might be recognized by American moviegoers as the 13-year-old Charlie Chaplin in 2003's "Shanghai Knights." He played the young John Lennon in "Nowhere Boy," and the title hero in the ultra-violent "Kick-Ass" movies. He was well-cast as Vronsky in Joe Wright's 2012 version of "Anna Karenina," and briefly played Quicksilver in a few of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. He will star as the lead in "Kraven the Hunter," playing a Spider-Man villain with washboard abs.
Fiennes has been acting professionally since 1985 when he appeared in Shakespeare productions in England. Fiennes has always handled Shakespeare well, and he played Macbeth as recently as 2023. His first film was a 1992 adaptation of "Wuthering Heights," but he exploded in popularity the following year for his performance in Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List." Since then, he has starred in over 60 films, from tiny indies to mainstream blockbusters. He has directed four features.
Jodie Comer has been acting in TV since 2008 and gained acclaim for her performance in "Killing Eve" in 2019. In film, she broke through with "Free Guy" and "The Last Duel" in 2021. She will also appear in 2024's "The Bikeriders."