28 Weeks Later Taking The Rage Virus Global Was Never Supposed To Happen

28 Weeks Later continues the story of the Rage Virus introduced in the revolutionary 28 Days Later, which has been the inspiration for many horror films since its release in 2002. The sequel resumes where the first movie ended, before making a transition of 28 weeks into the future, when a second outbreak of the Rage Virus occurs.

The sequel employs the same style of filming, with handheld cinematography and quick editing, which adds to the sense of panic in every frame where characters escape from the infected. It also uses a similar background score, but it’s starkly different in its pacing. 28 Weeks Later relentlessly runs through horrifying set pieces on its way to the conclusion.

What makes 28 Weeks Later such an underrated sequel is that the entire film feels like one extended set piece once the second outbreak occurs. It is the perfect disaster movie that never lets up and will continue haunting viewers long after the credits have rolled due to its unforgettable climax. However, that iconic twist ending almost didn’t happen.

28 Weeks Later’s Global Outbreak Tease Was A Last-Minute Addition

The DVD Commentary Elaborates On The Choice

The final sH๏τ of 28 Weeks Later (running toward the Eiffel Tower)

The 28 Weeks Later DVD features commentary by director and co-writer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and producer and co-writer Enrique López Lavigne. The commentary delves deeper into the filming techniques and the development of dialogue and characters in the scenes. However, the most interesting tidbit is about the ending scene, which wasn’t initially a part of the plan:

“Two days before the date of the final cut, Carlos and I, we decide to turn this into something else. And we took the Eurostar… with minimal crew.” – Enrique López Lavigne (via DVD Commentary)

The unforgettable climactic twist in 28 Weeks Later reveals that the Rage Virus has made its way to France. A sH๏τ of infected people rushing out of a metro in Paris confirms that the virus isn’t contained in the UK. A frenetic group of silhouettes against the dying light of the afternoon runs towards the main streets of Paris.

One of the major plot points in 28 Weeks Later is the possibility of a vaccine for the Rage Virus. Alice, the only known person to have survived infection, had a genetic condition that made her a carrier without experiencing any of the symptoms. So, her blood could be used to create a cure for the Rage Virus.

While Alice died after her husband kissed her, got infected, and killed her, it is revealed in the film’s ending that her son Andy also has her condition. 28 Weeks Later shows one of the US Army officials flying Andy and his sister Tammy away from the UK and possibly to Paris. However, the last scene changes everything.

Irrespective of the plans to capitalize on the possibility of the vaccine in more sequels, there were no plans to film an outbreak in Paris. However, the director changed his mind at the last minute, giving us that iconic closing sH๏τ, and suggesting that Andy, being a carrier, caused the outbreak in France.

28 Weeks Later’s Last-Minute Twist Can Explain Why 28 Years Later Retcons It

It Was Never Meant To Happen

An Infected leaning forward in a field of flowers in 28 Years Later

28 Years Later retcons the ending of 28 Weeks Later, by revealing that the infected are still alive in the UK, 28 years after the original outbreak, but the infection’s spread in Europe has been easily quelled. The movie acknowledges the final scene of 28 Weeks Later, but conveniently moves on from it with just one line of explanation.

Both writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle have confirmed that despite the changes in 28 Years Later, 28 Weeks Later is still canon to the 28 Days Later franchise.

It is possible that this was always the plan, since the Paris outbreak scene in 28 Weeks Later was never supposed to happen. The retcon was probably the originally planned direction that still had to be modified due to 28 Years Later being stuck in development hell for years. However, other changes in 28 Years Later suggest otherwise.

Andy’s immunity and the possibility of a vaccine are never addressed in 28 Years Later. Inoculation is clearly not possible, since the infection has spread throughout the mainland of the UK, and the only known safe space is a village that’s connected to the mainland by a bridge that disappears during high tide. So, the original plan was abandoned.