Summary

• Cillian Murphy will be an executive producer of the third film in the 28 Days Later franchise.
• 28 Years Later sees the return of director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland.
• While his onscreen appearance has not been confirmed, Murphy could potentially reprise his role as Jim.

Cillian Murphy will be involved in the production of 28 Years Later. The movie, which is currently in development, will be the third installment in the horror franchise. The original 2002 movie, 28 Days Later, followed a rage virus turning most of the population of the U.K. into violent, mindless creatures and starred Murphy as bicycle messenger Jim, who wakes up from a coma in a drastically different world. Jim did not appear in the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, which followed a group of people attempting to repopulate the region after the disease was supposedly wiped out.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the 28 Years Later will see Murphy return to the fold. The project, which was picked up by Sony after a fierce bidding war, will see Murphy stepping into the role of executive producer opposite returning director Danny Boyle and returning screenwriter Alex Garland. Although Murphy could potentially return as Jim, no onscreen appearance for the star has been officially confirmed at the time of writing.

Will Jim Return In 28 Years Later?

It's Possible, But Recent Oscar Nominee Cillian Murphy May Be Too In-Demand

Murphy returning to 28 Years Later is a distinct possibility. Jim lived to see the end of 28 Days Later, with the ending hinting at the imminent rescue of himself and his companions Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns) after the infected humans have largely died of starvation. None of those three characters were alluded to in 28 Weeks Later, so there is no canonical confirmation of their fate after that, implying that they could very well have survived, though the virus' spread throughout continental Europe in the sequel's ending likely complicated their chances.

The end of 28 Weeks Later depicts infected people running through an underground tunnel that is then revealed to be in the center of Paris.

Ultimately, Jim's return depends on Murphy's willingness to commit to a more involved role in the project. This may not be a given, as he likely has a wealth of new projects to choose from following his Oscar nomination for his role in Christopher Nolan's 2023 smash hit Oppenheimer. Even if he is too busy to star in the movie, however, his involvement as a producer could place him on set for long enough to film a cameo appearance detailing Jim's fate.

One point in favor of Jim's return is the fact that the star has shown a willingness to return to the post-apocalyptic horror genre with his appearance opposite Emily Blunt in the 2021 sequel A Quiet Place Part II. However, even if Murphy doesn't return onscreen in 28 Years Later, that doesn't necessarily preclude any other 28 Days Later characters from coming back. So far, the movie has reunited three of the major players in the original movie, so the presence of more would hardly be out of the question.

28 Days Later is currently unavailable for streaming, but 28 Weeks Later can be streamed on Hulu.

Source: THR