Cillian Murphy has said he is prepared to return to the ‘28 Days Later’ franchise, despite the disappointing box office performance of its latest instalment.
‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’, released in January, marked Murphy’s brief cameo return to the post-apocalyptic series. The film followed 2024’s 28 Years Later, with director Danny Boyle previously outlining plans for a new trilogy. However, while the first film performed strongly, The Bone Temple failed to recoup its reported $63 million production budget.
The franchise’s future has since been uncertain. Murphy had earlier suggested that further sequels would depend on the success of the second film, though reports last December indicated that Sony Pictures had provisionally approved another entry.
Speaking to The Times, Murphy struck an optimistic note when asked about the next instalment. “Hope so! I’m ready anyway,” he said.
Murphy originally starred in 2003’s 28 Days Later, but did not appear in 2007’s ‘28 Weeks Later’ or 2024’s ‘28 Years Later’. His cameo at the end of The Bone Temple reintroduced his character, fuelling speculation that he could take on a larger role in a future film.
The actor will next be seen reprising his role as Tommy Shelby in Netflix’s upcoming film ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’. He also dismissed rumours linking him to the role of Voldemort in HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter series, telling The Times, “I’m categorically not.”
