28 Years Later Trailer Unveils Terrifying Post-Apocalyptic Vision

28 Years Later Trailer Offers a Gripping Look at a Post-Apocalyptic World

By Jeremy Smith and Hannah Shaw-Williams

Updated: December 10, 2024

Twenty-two years ago, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland revived the zombie genre—not with traditional undead, but through a gripping pandemic thriller titled “28 Days Later.” Fast forward to 2025, and audiences are set to dive back into this chilling universe with “28 Years Later,” which will debut on June 20, 2025. This new installment picks up 17 years—by our calendar—after the chaos portrayed in “28 Weeks Later,” the sequel from 2007.

Notably, 2024 Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy returns as Jim, the once-hospitalized protagonist. He is joined by an impressive cast including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Jack O’Connell, and Ralph Fiennes. The latest film assembles a talented ensemble that promises to elevate the intensity of this gripping tale.

As for the narrative arc of “28 Years Later,” the re-emergence of the rage virus serves as a central plot point, thrusting its characters into another harrowing struggle against infection and survival. Boyle takes the helm once again, marking his return to the horror genre after a hiatus that began with “Yesterday” in 2019. Fans are eager to see him partner with Alex Garland, whose directorial prowess has shone brightly in films like “Annihilation” and “Civil War.”

What can viewers anticipate from the freshly unveiled trailer for “28 Years Later”?

Initially, the trailer presents a seemingly stable post-apocalyptic society reminiscent of later “The Walking Dead” seasons, with comforts of daily life like electricity and routines. However, this semblance of normalcy is merely a facade, as the survivors inhabit a tightly controlled island that connects to the mainland through a heavily fortified causeway. The official synopsis reveals that nearly three decades have passed since the rage virus escaped from a bioweapons lab, and a harsh quarantine continues to dictate the lives of those who have managed to endure amid the madness.

One character, embarking on a mission to the mainland, stumbles upon a mix of wonder and terror, discovering that the infected and even some survivors have undergone disturbing transformations. Cannibalism, towers made of skulls, and emaciated victims of the virus suggest that this chapter in the saga promises to be the darkest yet.

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the trailer is its audio backdrop: a recording of Taylor Holmes reading “Boots,” a war poem by Rudyard Kipling, which is notoriously played in U.S. Navy SERE training to test soldiers’ mental endurance. It’s not hard to envision the psychological torment that such relentless audio could inflict on anyone trapped in a confined space.

Mark your calendars; “28 Years Later” is hitting theaters on June 20, 2025, and it promises to be a theatrical experience knotting fear and intrigue as it further explores the haunting legacy of the rage virus.