Warning: This article contains spoilers for 28 Years Later.

28 Years Later sets up the next installment, The Bone Temple, in a number of ways. 28 Years Later, which is intended to be the first in a new trilogy of movies from the 28 Days Later franchise, was helmed by original director Danny Boyle, reuniting with original screenwriter Alex Garland.

While the third movie in the planned Years trilogy has not even been funded yet, the upcoming 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is set to debut in theaters shockingly soon. The movie’s premiere date is set for January 16, 2026, just under seven months after the previous installment hit theaters.

Because the sequel, which was written by Alex Garland and directed by Candyman‘s Nia DaCosta, is so linked to its predecessor (both in terms of the schedule and in terms of their narrative continuity), 28 Years Later features quite a few moments that set up potential storylines for The Bone Temple.

1

Jamie Wants Spike To Come Home

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Will Return In The Bone Temple

Because production on The Bone Temple began less than a month after the previous movie wrapped, many members of the 28 Years Later cast will be returning in the sequel. This includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays Jamie, the father of the movie’s main character, Spike (Alfie Williams). Additionally, the movie indicates the most likely avenue for Jamie’s return.

The movie ends with Spike setting off on his own, much to the consternation of his father. While 28 days pᴀss after Spike’s departure, during which Jamie hasn’t gone after him, the final moments featuring the character seem to show that he is not happy to let his son just slip away and that he may soon mount a search.

2

Samson Is Still Looking For The Baby

The Alpha Survived 28 Years Later

Alongside the majority of the human characters, one of the most important Infected will be returning in The Bone Temple, namely the Alpha, Samson. The mutations of the Rage virus that were shown in the movie include the development of Alphas, which are smarter Infected who take on leadership positions.

The most prominently featured Alpha is Samson, a big and powerful Infected who roams the countryside in the territory of the eccentric Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who doesn’t try to kill him, but rather sedates him when he threatens Spike and his mother Isla (Jodie Comer).

It is heavily implied that the non-infected baby that Isla ᴀssisted in the birth of was fathered by Samson. In fact, it seems that Samson is specifically targeting Spike and Isla because they have the baby with them.

Therefore, because Samson is set to return in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, it seems that he will continue to seek out the child, no matter what obstacles are in his way. This could pose an extremely dangerous threat to the fortified village on the island of Lindisfarne, where Spike left the baby before going off on his own.

3

Jimmy’s Cult Has Been Introduced

They Will Be A Major Part Of The Bone Temple

One of the biggest sequel setups is the group that is introduced at the very end of 28 Years Later. Somewhat unexpectedly, Spike’s escape from a group of Infected is aided by a cult wearing colorful tracksuits, who are led by the mysterious Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell).

Sir Jimmy was the subject of the movie’s prologue, which took place 28 years earlier, at the beginning of the Rage virus epidemic. He was seen alongside a group of children in a home in the Highlands who were attempting to ᴀssuage their fears by watching Teletubbies, only for Infected to invade.

Sir Jimmy’s gang of Jimmies, which include Jimmy Jones (Maura Bird), Jimmima (Emma Laird), and Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman), will almost certainly form a major part of the story of The Bone Temple. For one thing, this brief tease hints that the next movie will pick up with Spike learning more about the group and either joining or being kidnapped by them.

For another, Jimmy’s appearance was foreshadowed by mysterious, worshipful graffiti that was seen in various places around the mainland, including his name being carved into a hanging victim.

4

Spike’s Coming Of Age Story Has Just Begun

He’s About To Embark On A New Journey

28 Years Later saw Spike take a huge step forward in his maturity, learning to accept the death of his mother. Along the way, his experiences also led him to have growing doubts about his father and whether he would flourish under his guardianship. However, he has many more lessons to learn now that he is on his own.

One of these lessons will very likely be about how to discern which apocalyptic survivors he can trust. It remains to be seen if he embraces Jimmy’s gang or recognizes that their violent tactics are responsible for one of his most terrifying experiences in the previous movie, when he was almost killed by one of their victims, who became infected.

5

The Bone Temple Has Been Established

Dr. Kelson Built The Unusual Monument

2025’s 28 Years Later has already introduced the тιтular edifice from The Bone Temple. The тιтle refers to the tower of skulls surrounded by columns of bones, which has been erected by Dr. Kelson in tribute to the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ of the British Isles, the Infected and uninfected alike.

It is currently unclear how the bone temple will figure into the sequel. However, the тιтle implies that it will be central to the movie’s storyline. It has also been confirmed that Dr. Kelson will return in The Bone Temple, so it seems likely that he will be reunited with Spike, potentially with the Jimmy cult in tow.

6

The Baby Could Change Everything

The Uninfected Child Could Provide Hope For The Future

In addition to potentially being a lure for Samson the Alpha Infected, the uninfected baby, which is now in the care Jamie on Lindisfarne, could potentially offer a glimpse into the future of the world in the 28 Days Later movies. The fact that an uninfected child can be born from two Infected has huge implications for Rage virus survivors.

It’s entirely possible that the baby’s uninfected status could lead to the development of a cure for the Rage virus. However, it seems unlikely that the survivors have either the knowledge or the access to technology to allow them to do so, which is an issue that could potentially drive a major branch of the story in the upcoming sequel.

7

The Outside World Still Exists

The Rage Virus Is Isolated To The British Isles

Although the ending of 28 Weeks Later hinted that the Rage virus was beginning to spread globally, 28 Years Later confirmed that it had been eradicated from continental Europe. Swedish soldier Erik (Edvin Ryding), who washed up on shore, also revealed that the modern world exists outside of the British Isles, which was quarantined in the early 2000s.

Because the first movie offered a small glimpse of the outside world through Erik, it seems likely that the sequel will continue to explore how continental Europe interacts with Britain, either by introducing new characters from the region or potentially even having scenes set there.

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8

The Infected Are More Organized Than They Seem

Alphas Make Them Even More Dangerous

The mutations shown in 28 Years Later‘s Infected also have huge implications for the story in The Bone Temple. In addition to the Infected being led by Alphas, there are other indications that they are beginning to develop their own rudimentary civilization, as it is revealed that they have begun reproducing, and it was hinted that they also hunt animals.

The sequel to 28 Years Later could reveal even further extents to which the Infected have developed since the original movies. They could potentially be even more organized than they seemed in the 2025 installment, which would mean that they could be intelligent enough to form an army that poses an unprecedented threat to the surviving communities.