Bold upheaval in the air: the third chapter of the 28 Years Later trilogy appears to be stuck in a stall, and the timing couldn’t be more controversial. That’s the gist of the latest chatter from World of Reel, which reports that Sony isn’t rushing to deliver the trilogy’s finale, despite officially announcing it last December. Meanwhile, there’s talk Netflix could be eyeing the sequel, but director Danny Boyle is insisting on a theatrical release for the final installment, planned to feature Cillian Murphy.
Sony had already signaled forward momentum for Chapter 3 before Bone Temple hit theaters this past January. While Dread Central hasn’t confirmed these rumors, the implication that Sony has cooled on the project isn’t surprising to some observers.
Bone Temple, DaCosta’s second chapter, drew generally strong reviews, yet it flopped at the box office. With reports placing the budget around $63 million, domestic gross landed at about $25 million, and worldwide totals hovered near $57 million. Those numbers aren’t encouraging for a quick green light on a third film.
Explanations behind the disappointing performance vary: waning audience interest, fatigue with the 28 Years Later brand, or other unseen factors. Whatever the reason, the prospect of abandoning the trilogy’s ending feels increasingly plausible.
We’re left waiting to see whether Boyle and Garland’s continued story of Spike (as portrayed by Alfie Williams) will ever reach a conclusion. The cliffhanger left audiences on in Bone Temple—that precarious moment when monsters and humans collide—deserves closure, not abandonment.
If you missed Bone Temple on the big screen, it’s now available on VOD. For those curious about the sequel, our review of DaCosta’s laboratory-charged follow-up is still worth a read. It’s been praised as one of the year’s standout horror entries, even if the box office didn’t reflect that acclaim.
Keywords: 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple, Danny Boyle, Cillian Murphy, Nia DaCosta, box office, film trilogy, VOD, horror cinema
