An Underrated Sci-Fi Movie With Chris Evans & Cillian Murphy Almost Became A Trilogy

Danny Boyle has had rotten luck over the years with studio movies. After establishing himself as a brashly talented filmmaker with "Shallow Grave" and "Trainspotting," 20th Century Fox brought him into the fold for an outright flop ("A Life Less Ordinary") and a massive under-performer (Leonardo DiCaprio's "Titanic" follow-up, "The Beach"). He tends to do just fine when he's working outside of the system on movies that've received studio distribution (e.g. "28 Days Later," "Slumdog Millionaire," "127 Hours"), but his sensibility is just off-center enough to get him in trouble when dealing with bottom line-minded executives.

One of Boyle's biggest Hollywood headaches was induced during the pricey production of "Sunshine." The heady sci-fi thriller marked his third collaboration with screenwriter Alex Garland, and it's still dividing audiences today due to its arguably too-conventional third act. (I think the film could've gone in several more interesting directions, but I'm also aware that a $40 million genre flick had to be mindful of mainstream audiences' expectations.) Thanks to mutedly positive reviews and a meh response from moviegoers, the film — which features superb performances from Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, and Chris Evans — wound up bombing to the tune of $35 million worldwide.

Had "Sunshine" connected with viewers, though, Boyle and Garland had plans for two more movies. And while I wasn't altogether thrilled with the conclusion of "Sunshine," I would've happily returned to this universe — because Boyle and Garland are simply too talented to fall short a second time.

In an interview with Collider during a press event for "28 Years Later," Boyle discussed Garland's (for now) scrapped trilogy. "[Garland] only wrote an outline," he explained. "[But] it was a planetary trilogy. It was to do with the sun itself, with two other stories." Though Boyle couldn't recall the exact plot details, he did say that Garland had "an extraordinary idea in one of them."

As for the difficult process of making "Sunshine," Boyle admitted then 20th Century Fox's head of production at that time, Tom Rothman, fought him every step of the way (and it sounds like they're still battling, given that Boyle groused to Collider that the executive, who's now the top dog at Sony, was the primary reason the press was only allowed to watch 28 minutes of "28 Years Later" two weeks prior to the film's release). Per Boyle:

"I remember him watching 'Sunshine,' and I remember him saying, 'The only hope you offer. The only hope you offer, Danny, is that little green plant shoot in that burnt-out oxygen garden. There's a little green shoot, and you think there's hope! And Michelle Yeoh sees hope! Then you kill her! In that moment, you kill her! You can't do this!' Anyway, I remember a big blowout with him about that."

Boyle is still quite fond of "Sunshine" and told Collider that it's a movie that continues to resonate for moviegoers. "[T]here are many films I've made people don't think this about — but 'Sunshine' is one they really, genuinely think about and really love the film," he added. If Boyle and Garland's "28 Years Later" proves to be a gargantuan hit, perhaps those unmade sequels could get resurrected.

"28 Years Later" hits theaters on June 20, 2025.