Cillian Murphy Addresses Role in "28 Days Later" Sequel

Cillian Murphy will return for the sequel of 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later, as an executive producer. The film's details are not yet revealed.

Last week, fans of the hit movie 28 Days Later received exciting news about a sequel, 28 Years Later. The sequel has officially found a home at Sony, and even better, it was announced that star Cillian Murphy would be returning in some capacity, possibly as an executive producer. While it's still unclear whether Murphy will actually appear in the film, he expressed his availability to be a part of 28 Years Later in a recent interview with Variety.

In the interview, Murphy revealed that two endings were shot for the original 28 Days Later, one in which his character, Jim, survives and another in which Jim dies. Ultimately, the film went with the more "optimistic" ending in which Jim survived, leaving the door open for Murphy to reprise his role.

When asked if he could come back for another movie, Murphy confidently replied, "I'm available."

What do we know about 28 Years Later? The film will see Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reuniting to write and direct, kicking off a new series of films. Garland is expected to write a Part 2, while Boyle will direct the first film, with the director for the second film to be determined at a later date. Garland and Boyle will produce alongside original producer Andrew Macdonald and former head of Fox Searchlight Pictures Peter Rice. Garland previously expressed that the idea for 28 Years Later has been long discussed and that he and Boyle are taking it seriously.

Murphy has also expressed his interest in returning to the franchise that helped launch his career, saying, "I would never say never. I loved to make that movie. It was a long time ago. But sure [I would like to return]."

Interestingly, Murphy revealed that he wasn't initially aware that 28 Days Later was a zombie movie. He explained, "I wasn't too aware we were making a zombie movie, to be honest with you. It was right around the time SARS happened and there was all this 'air rage' stuff going on. So, I never felt it was a zombie film. And I'm glad I didn't watch the Romero movies because I didn't realize how hallowed those movies were."

Are you hopeful that Murphy will appear in 28 Years Later? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.