Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s long-awaited sequel 28 Years Later passed an important box office milestone in a relatively short timeframe, establishing it as easily the most successful movie in the franchise that began with 28 Days Later. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Alfie Williams, 28 Years Later debuted with strong Rotten Tomatoes scores and a box office opening to match.
The action picks up nearly three decades after the initial outbreak of the Rage Virus, which has been eradicated from mainland Europe since the breakout observed at the end of 28 Weeks Later. Great Britain is still ravaged by the virus, which has evolved and mutated over the years to yield multiple iterations of the Infected.
Since its wide release on June 20th, 2025, 28 Years Later has continued to slowly pile up box office revenue. According to The Numbers, 28 Years Later passed the $150 million box office milestone at the global box office, with $80 million coming from the international market and a very strong $70 million coming from domestic.
That total puts the horror sequel in good company, as it’s just the third movie to cross the $70 million mark at the domestic box office. In addition to being the highest-grossing movie in the 28 Days Later franchise, it represents the third-highest-grossing movie of Danny Boyle’s career, behind only Slumdog Millionaire and Yesterday.
What The Latest Box Office Milestone Means For The 28 Days Later Franchise
The Strong Returns Should Mean The Trilogy Gets Completed
The 28 Days Later franchise was revitalized by Boyle and writer Alex Garland’s reunion on 28 Years Later, so much so that 28 Years Later and its sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, were shot back-to-back. Although Boyle will be turning over the director’s chair to Nia DaCosta for the sequel, Alex Garland’s steady hand on both movies should ensure similar quality.
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The box office total for 28 Years Later could be enough to help get the third film in the planned trilogy greenlit, but it may not necessarily be high enough to accomplish that on its own. Assuming 28 Years Later finds a strong audience on VOD and streaming, the box office total for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple could push even higher than its predecessor.
Between the two movies, the box office return should be enough to ensure that Boyle and Garland’s imagined trilogy will be completed. The franchise’s fourth movie will also receive a boost from the knowledge that Cillian Murphy’s Jim will return, albeit in limited fashion.
Our Take On 28 Years Later’s Latest Milestone
Audiences Will Turn Up For High-Quality Horror
28 Days Later is a foundational movie in the annals of horror. It popularized the concept of “fast zombies”, and over the years has achieved true classic status, which is partially why 28 Years Later was able to draw so well at the box office.
Top 10 Horror Movies 2025
Movie
Release Date
Domestic Box Office Gross
Sinners
April 18th
$278.5 million
Final Destination: Bloodlines*
May 16th
$138.1 million
28 Years Later*
June 20th
$70 million
Heart Eyes
February 7th
$30.4 million
Megan 2.0*
June 27th
$24 million
I Know What You Did Last Summer*
July 18th
$23.5 million
The Woman in the Yard
March 28th
$22.4 million
Wolf Man
January 17th
$20.7 million
Until Dawn
April 25th
$20.1 million
Bring Her Back
May 30th
$19.3 million
*still in theaters
Even without the existing franchise connection, 28 Years Later passing the $150 million mark continues to prove that audiences will show up for high-quality horror movies. Strong narratives, quality performances, and powerful metaphors will always drive strong box office results thanks to positive word of mouth, even in R-rated horror movies.
7/10
- Release Date
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June 20, 2025
- Runtime
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126 minutes
- Director
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Danny Boyle
