What's Inside?
- The Bone Temple trailer reveals a darker survival story, exploring human cruelty, cult control, and terrifying infected evolution across post-apocalyptic Britain.
- Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Kelson and Chi Lewis-Parry’s Samson relationship reshapes the narrative, blurring lines between human morality and infected monstrosity.
- Spike’s nightmare under Sir Jimmy Crystal’s cult drives the sequel, as survivors emerge scarier than the infected themselves in shocking twists.
The wait is over—28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has finally dropped its first trailer, and the horror community is buzzing. Set for release this January, the film promises to elevate the franchise’s chilling legacy with a fresh perspective, a daring new director, and unsettling twists that dive deeper into the blurred line between monster and man.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Brings New Faces, Darker Tones
Directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels), this latest installment shifts the spotlight to Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and his unnerving bond with the infected Alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Their relationship hints at both psychological horror and a reimagining of what survival means in a world already ravaged by infection.
The trailer also reintroduces Spike (Alfie Williams), whose allegiance to the cult-like figure Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) takes center stage. Spike’s bleach-blonde look may appear flamboyant, but his new allegiance seems anything but glamorous. As the synopsis teases, he’s trapped in “a nightmare he can’t escape.”
Notably absent from the footage is Cillian Murphy’s Jim, though fans won’t be disappointed for long—his return is set to anchor the sequel’s climax, paving the way for a possible third film in this trilogy arc.
Behind the scenes, there’s a passing of the torch. While Danny Boyle steps back into a producer role, Alex Garland returns to pen the screenplay, ensuring the franchise retains its razor-sharp edge. DaCosta herself describes the project as “bonkers, idiosyncratic and very artistically personal,” promising the film will carry forward the chaotic brilliance that has defined the series for two decades.
The Bone Temple Redefines Horror Survival in the Franchise
What sets 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple apart is not just its grotesque infected but its unsettling portrayal of humanity. Actor Jack O’Connell summed it up best: “I don’t think the infected are purely antagonists in our film. It definitely will make you consider that.” That moral grayness—where survivors themselves may be more terrifying than the monsters—pushes the saga into bold territory.
First launched with 28 Days Later in 2002, the franchise has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, blending raw horror with social commentary. Now, as the fourth entry, The Bone Temple looks to expand on that legacy with a narrative that feels both unhinged and brutally relevant.
And it’s not stopping here. An untitled fifth film is already in development, though unconfirmed, and is expected to close out this trilogy. If the trailer is any indication, fans are in for a nightmare that doesn’t just revisit the past but reshapes the entire future of the series.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is in cinemas on 16 January 2026.
