Horror fans furious as next 28 Years Later sequel risks being scrapped… ending the franchise on a huge cliffhanger

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A well-known horror movie series might be cancelled before its last film comes out.

The latest installment in the 28 Years Later series might be cancelled due to disappointing ticket sales for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, reports World of Reel.

Even though critics loved the new zombie movie, it didn’t do well in theaters when it came out last month.

So far, it has only grossed around $57million from its $63million budget.

Although Sony announced in December they were planning a third film, likely starring Cillian Murphy, reports suggest the studio is now hesitant after the disappointing box office performance of The Bone Temple.

Netflix is reportedly considering acquiring the film, but director Danny Boyle prefers it to be shown in cinemas for this concluding installment.

Fans are upset about the possibility of the ‘Strangers’ trilogy being left unfinished, with one questioning, ‘We’ve gotten three bad movies already, and now we might not even get a proper ending to this franchise?’

One person commented that the marketing didn’t do a good job, because many people mistakenly believed the movie was a continuation of the original.

Honestly, I’m telling you, if Cillian Murphy is involved, this project has to happen. It’s a total no-brainer! His name alone is enough to get it made – seriously, studios would greenlight anything with him attached. I just know it!

The franchise began in 2002 with the release of 28 Days Later. 

I still remember being completely blown away by this film! Directed by Danny Boyle and featuring Cillian Murphy in what really launched his career, it was a shockingly intense and gruesome zombie movie. What’s even more incredible is how much money it made – over $82 million at the box office – considering it was made for just $8 million! It really took everyone by surprise.

The 2007 film, 28 Weeks Later, was also successful in theaters, but it didn’t include any of the original creators – neither actor Christopher Eccleston, director Danny Boyle, nor writer Alex Garland returned for the sequel.

The series paused for nearly twenty years, but then Danny Boyle and Alex Garland worked together again on ’28 Years Later,’ planned as the beginning of a new set of three films.

The movie was a box office success, earning over $150 million, but viewers had mixed reactions. While it wasn’t a typical zombie horror film, it was a compelling story about growing up after a disaster.

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28 Years Later was filmed back-to-back with its sequel, The Bone Temple.

Nia DaCosta, the director of the Candyman remake and the Marvel film The Marvels (which unfortunately didn’t perform well at the box office), directed The Bone Temple. While critics generally loved it, audiences were split – the film takes a different approach than typical zombie movies.

The movie ended with an unexpected reappearance by Jim, played by Murphy, hinting he could be the main star in a future installment.

Deadline reports that Garland began writing the third movie last year, and Boyle was interested in directing it.

After winning a competitive bid in 2024, Sony obtained the rights to the franchise and immediately approved the first two movies, filming them consecutively. However, they decided to delay approval for a third film.

In interviews, both Boyle and Cillian indicated that the fate of any future movies rested on the success of the initial two films in theaters.

The Bone Temple isn’t the only horror flop to grace theatres this year.

Return to Silent Hill, the highly anticipated sequel, came out last month, but it was met with very negative reviews and didn’t sell well at the box office.

The Strangers: Chapter 3 was also a disaster both critically and commercially.  

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2026-02-20 04:41