I Know We're Moving Forward In Time With 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, But Here's Why I Still Want 28 Months Later

Okay, so look. I know we’re probably NEVER going to get the oft-mentioned 28 Months Later, and that’s because the writer, Alex Garland, and the director, Danny Boyle, have moved on from that idea.

But, be that as it may. Even though 28 Years Later’s sequel, The Bone Temple, is right around the corner, I still refuse to believe that we’ll never get the skipped over installment, and that's because I just don’t want to believe that. Yes, I too loved 28 Years Later, and I’m looking forward to its sequel. But, the idea that we went from Days, to Weeks, to YEARS just doesn't sit right with me, and I don’t think it ever will.

So, here’s why I still greatly desire 28 Months Later…even though I’ll probably never get my wish.

28 Years Later Opened Up A Lot Of Questions Regarding What Happened Following Weeks

Here’s the thing about 28 Years Later, which we included in our list of the best movies of 2025 - it left a lot of questions that I still want answered. Now, some of these answers will likely come about in the sequel, and that’s cool, but I think they could also be answered in a prequel, which is what I want to see.

For example, how has the Rage virus been eradicated from certain parts of Europe, and why hasn’t it been eradicated completely? Not only that, but in Years, we learn that social media still exists, and that people are using it. I’d like to know how the world rebuilt itself following the events of 28 Weeks Later (which, I might add, is underrated), to the extent that people are using social media and living as if there aren't still infected folks in the world ripping people apart.

Because Weeks showed that the spread was actually quite immediate. We saw NATO getting the U.S. involved, and how things were still structurally falling apart. By the end of the film, we see that the virus is in Paris. However, in Years, we get a sense that there is now calm around the world - for the most part - and that the British Isle is the main issue.

My question is, how? Like, how did we get from the Rage virus spreading to mainland England in Weeks, to how it gets contained in Years? I think Months could clear all that up…if we ever got it.

I'd Still Love To See How The Rest Of The World Responded To The Rage Virus

As just mentioned, we see that the virus is in Paris at the end of 28 Weeks Later, but that’s all we see. Now, in 28 Years Later, we see that people who have the Rage virus can’t get across water (unless they’re Alphas, but I’ll get to them later), so one would suspect that those who are infected would be trapped in Europe.

However, even though the 28 franchise is mostly European (with Weeks feeling a little odd with its U.S. intervention), I’d be fascinated to see a broader scope if we ever got Months. Even if it’s just other parts of Europe, like Italy, or Spain, I’d love to see how the Rage virus would be handled there. Because yes, while I know this isn’t like World War Z (which was very different from the book, by the way), and that these aren’t even zombies, I still think the rest of the world would be keeping a close eye on the events happening in Europe, and I would love if an in-between story showed that angle.

Or, not even a film. I’d be cool with a novel, or even a comic. We did get a 28 Days Later comic from BOOM! Studios that took place after the events of the first film and followed Selena, and that really expanded the world of the series.

In that way, I’d be just as cool with there being a book or comic series that told the story of Months, because come on. From Weeks to Years is a big leap, and it feels like it’s missing something. I think so, at least.

I Like The Concept Of The Original Sequence Of Days, Weeks, Months, Then Years

Let me tell you. When I originally heard that the concept was going to be Days, Weeks, Months, and then Years, my mind filled with possibilities. I mean, I love most of George A. Romero’s zombie movies, but my favorite are the first three, those being Night, Dawn, and Day of the Dead. And, that’s because we get to see the “progress” of the zombie apocalypse.

We got that with 28 Days Later, and then Weeks. But it just feels like Years is totally separate from the preceding films. And yes, I know a lot of that is by design.

For example, we have an interesting scenario when Spike (Alfie Williams) doesn’t understand the Swedish soldier’s cell phone when it’s shown to him, since he’s been isolated his entire life. He doesn’t get who these soldiers are, or that people live without the threat of the Rage virus, and I like that aspect. Again, I really liked 28 Years Later. I think it’s the best of the three movies.

That said, the series doesn’t feel as cohesive as the Romero trilogy of Night, Dawn, and Day, even though they’re not directly connected. But, I think that’s because there’s that crucial time skip with Months that’s missing here. Plus, I just can’t stand that we’re going to get a trilogy for Years, and never saw the period in between. It’s like this series is completely disconnected from the other two movies. I know that’s a me problem, but argh! I don’t like that!

I Would Like To Learn More About The Alpha Mutation

28 Years Later is a really terrifying film, and I think a large part of that is because of the Alpha Mutation, which turns some infected individuals into these massive, hulking threats (who are also, ahem, pretty well-endowed).

Anyway, besides Ralph Fiennes somewhat stoic (and yet, eccentric) doctor character, and that bizarre ending with those tracksuit killers, I think the most interesting new addition to the series is these Alphas, and I feel a movie between Weeks and Years could have gone into how such a strong mutation could have occurred.

Yes, I'll admit, some of what makes them so appealing and unique is that there is an air of mystery about them. It's not like I want everything to be revealed about their creation.

But, if we learn more about them in the sequels, I think that may bog them down instead of advancing new ideas, so a prequel would be a great way to expand upon the Alphas. Not only that, but…

I Really Just Like Prequels, And This Could Be An Interesting One

Okay, I'm not going to lie. I just flat out like prequels. When I wrote about the best movie prequels of all time, it just made me think about how much I would love to see something that fits before 28 Years Later, since prequels expand, rather than take away, from a story.

I don't care if Months comes after the planned Years trilogy. If it came (in any form) at all, I would be happy.

Because the best prequels can create even more lore, backstory, and explanations in a way that sequels never could, which is why I so want this to happen…even if the possibility is slim.

Would you also like to see 28 Months Later become a reality? I'd love to hear your thoughts.