During a recently shared SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Conversations program session, Cillian Murphy shared insights into his first thoughts on the 2002 hit film. The 2024 Oscar nominee for ‘Oppenheimer’ confessed:
“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.”
About possibly reprising his role in ‘28 Days Later’ in a new sequel, he added:
“I’m available.”
The Zombie Film Series Is Back
Although the clip was recorded in December, the timing of Murphy’s explanations coincided with the January announcement of a sequel greenlit by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ‘Oppenheimer’ actor will be an executive producer for ‘28 Years Later.’ He may also return as Jim, the protagonist who wakes up from a coma 28 days after a Zombie virus outbreak, although the official cast list is still unconfirmed.
The First Film Was A Hit
While some news suggests that the sequel will be a two-part series for Sony Pictures, the original film remains a cult classic. So, reflecting on the ongoing legacy of ‘28 Days Later’ during the newly-released recording, Murphy remarked:
“Before ’28 Days Later,’ there weren’t that many zombie movies — it was kind of a dead genre. So, Danny and Alex rebooted it. The amount of memes — I do know what a meme is — that everybody sent me during the pandemic of ’28 Days Later’ was crazy. It just shows that good writing is prescient; it always remains prescient and relative.”
No release date has been announced for the upcoming sequel.
