28 Years Later is scheduled to be the third movie in the classic zombie franchise, but it will also be the first of an upcoming trilogy, putting a lot of pressure on its performance. The return of Danny Boyle’s horror series has been almost two decades in the making, and with 28 Years Later being one of 2025’s most anticipated movies, there are big expectations that the project will succeed both critically and financially. With 28 Days Later receiving exceptional reviews and 28 Weeks Later being a solid sequel, there is little room for error for the third installment.

Not only does it have two previous films to live up to, but with a further two sequels expected to follow the upcoming thriller, it is arguably the franchise’s most important outing yet. However, this shows how risky the current plan surrounding the zombie universe is, as there are already mᴀssive plans for the future. The creators are clearly banking on fans still being heavily invested in the story that started 23 years ago, but with Cillian Murphy not expected to return in 28 Years Later, there are some major obstacles ahead for the movie to overcome.

28 Years Later’s Future Risks An Unfinished Trilogy

The Trilogy May Never Be Complete If 28 Years Later & The Bone Temple Don’t Perform Well

With 28 Years Later supposedly retconning 28 Weeks Later‘s ending, the first three films don’t feel like a traditional trilogy. However, 28 Years Later has a sequel in the works before it has even been released and there are plans for a third movie in place, proving the horror series has faith in its modern trilogy. Unfortunately, these goals come with a major risk, as 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple both need to succeed, otherwise the third movie may not happen, which means the story could end on an unintentional cliffhanger that never gets resolved.

The first two films were hardly box office juggernauts, but they did at least succeed financially, creating a positive sign for 28 Years Later. Still, for the movie to kick off a new trilogy, it will have to perform much better than its predecessors. Therefore, if 28 Years Later and its sequel struggle to make a big impact, the studio may pull the plug on a third film, resulting in an unfinished narrative. Considering this beloved franchise has been brought back with a three-part story in mind, leaving the trilogy unfinished would be catastrophic and raise questions about its revival.

If 28 Years Later’s Trilogy Story Goes Unfinished, The Franchise Might’ve Been Better Off Staying ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

Reviving The Franchise After Nearly 2 Decades For An Unfinished Story Would Hurt Its Legacy

In the unfortunate scenario that 28 Years Later doesn’t complete its trilogy, it would make the franchise coming back from its 18-year slumber relatively pointless. Even if audiences and critics enjoy the next two movies, financial failure could be the main thing preventing a third installment, which would hurt the series as it will forever feel unfinished. After 28 Weeks Later, it still felt like the story needed something extra to finish it off, and if 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple leaves the narrative in a similarly incomplete state with no follow-up, the return will feel like a waste.

Perhaps even more worryingly, if audiences don’t really take to the more modern version of the zombie universe, it could hurt its legacy slightly and raise questions about whether the franchise should have simply stayed ᴅᴇᴀᴅ the whole time. Fortunately, the early signs are promising for 28 Years Later, and with the epic trailer causing a buzz online, I’m hopeful the upcoming project will be a hit and lay the groundwork for its sequels. However, if it doesn’t, the current sequel plans will create a major problem that could permanently hurt the iconic movie series.