Hot on the heels of 28 Years Later, which you’ll be shocked to learn came out earlier this year, comes 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the first immediate sequel in the entire franchise. Danny Boyle steps back from directing this time, with Nia DaCosta slipping into the director’s chair, and Andrew Garland still on writing duties. Also returning: Ralph Fiennes ridiculously ripped 62-year-old torso.
How to watch 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple in New Zealand
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is screening exclusively in New Zealand cinemas from January 16, 2026.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
What is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple about?
After the events of the previous film, young islander Spike is now down a mother, her skull having been added to the titular Bone Temple maintained by Dr Ian Kelson. He’s also stumbled across a weird cult that models itself on a disturbing figure from the pre-apocalyptic world, which doesn’t auger well. Meanwhile, Dr Keelson is making great strides in figuring out how to communicate with the rage-plagued infected—or he could be about to have his arms pulled out of their sockets. One or the other.
The cast of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Ralph Fiennes is Dr Ian Kelson, a former GP dedicated turned post-apocalyptic gym junkie/necromancer or something; Alfie Williams is Spike, our teenage hero from the first movie, now probably at a loose end; Jack O’Connell is Sir Jimmy Crystal, the nutso leader of the Jimmys, a cult modelled after, of all people, Jimmy Savile; Erin Kellyman, Emma Laird, and Maura Bird are Jimmy Ink, Jimmima, and Jimmy Jones, respectively, members of the Jimmys; Chi Lewis-Parry is Samson, the hulking alpha leader of the infected; Aaron Taylor-Johnson is Jamie, Spike’s scavenger father; and Cillian Murphy is Jim, a hauntingly familiar former bicycle courier.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple trailer
Why we’re excited about 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
You would think that the zombie apocalypse would be a thoroughly played out trope at this point, and most of the time you’d be absolutely on the money. But 28 Years Later amply proved that there are still interesting things to say if you find the right weird angle of approach. And this one looks pretty weird…
