More than two decades after Danny Boyle shattered the mould of indie survival movies with 28 Days Later, a threequel, 28 Years Later, is now close to hitting theatres. Danny Boyle is back in the director’s chair for this new installment as well.
Many fans of the series might want to watch 28 Days Later (another Danny Boyle film) and 28 Weeks Later before seeing the latest film. But is it absolutely necessary to see those two films first?
Do you have to watch 28 Days and Weeks Later before 28 Years Later?
The simple answer to this question would be no. The title itself suggests that the latest film is set almost three decades after the events of the first film. The filmmakers connect the movies thematically and narratively, but the timeline places this one much further ahead.
The filmmakers essentially treat the new movie as a soft reboot of the franchise. Since the filmmakers set it so far apart in the timeline, the movie avoids carrying many narrative threads. It does not closely follow the events of the previous films. There will not be any overarching narratives connecting the two films either. However, themes, the primary settings, and some narrative elements will carry over.
While 28 Years Later will carry over some elements from the original film, it will not connect to the first sequel, 28 Weeks Later, in the same way at all. Reports indicate that the narrative in 28 Weeks Later will not play any part in the upcoming sequel.
Perhaps 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, another planned sequel, will add some elements from 28 Weeks Later to the narrative. However, there is no confirmation about this.
The latest film will release in theaters on June 20, 2025.