The first trailer for new 28 Years trilogy, with the next installment directed by Nia DaCosta.

Ahead of the film's release in theaters on June 20, 2025, Sony Pictures has unveiled the first trailer for 28 Years Later. The trailer clocks in at roughly two minutes, starting off with a group of children watching television. It's not long before terror sets in, with the film's first extended preview offering glimpses of Johnson, Comer, Fiennes, and multiple new examples of infected.

The trailer's release also comes with an official synopsis, which underlines that it has been three decades since the virus broke out. With a quarantine that's ruthlessly enforced, some have been able to live amongst the infected. Read more below:

It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.

A grim new poster was shared via the 28 Years Later Instagram , which shows a severed head that could also belong to Murphy's character, Jim, with the ominous warning: “In 28 years, it has evolved.”

What The New 28 Years Later Trailer Reveals About The Movie

Things Haven't Gotten Better In Three Decades

A zombie in 28 Years Later

The first trailer, as is often the case with big blockbusters, does its best to evoke a mood. It starts with kids watching Teletubbies on an old television, but that relative bliss is turned upside down and one of the children is soon heard screaming. Accompanied by the constant voiceover repetition of “there’s no discharge in the war,” it seems like the situation is far worse than it was during the original film.

28 Years Later was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, with specialized attachments, and 28 Days Later’s Anthony Dod Mantle returns as cinematographer.

Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Tenet) is glimpsed most frequently in the trailer, often with a younger companion (played by Alfie Williams). There is little dialogue in the preview, but their bond is likely central to the plot, considering how Johnson has said that Williams is actually the lead of 28 Years Later. Comer (Killing Eve, The Last Duel) is also seen taking care of a child. As for Fiennes, who starred recently in the potential Oscar contender Conclave, his character looks the most distressed and worse for wear. He's shown bloodied and in the close vicinity of a structure made of bones and skulls.

Related
28 Years Later Promises The Perfect Balance With Cillian Murphy’s Role

By confirming that Cillian Murphy is returning as Jim, 28 Years Later already promises it is taking the right balanced approach towards its story.

Perhaps the most interesting shot in the trailer is not any of the confirmed actors. It is, at least at this point, somewhat speculative. It shows a skeletal zombie rising from the fields, and the zombie happens to look a lot like Cillian Murphy. It's a particularly notable inclusion since the Oppenheimer Oscar winner's on-screen involvement has been kept under wraps, and it's unclear how Jim will return.

Our Take On The New 28 Years Later Trailer

It's Both Effective & Secretive

Because of the marketing cycle of big blockbusters, a common complaint about modern movie trailers is that they reveal too much. This either means they give away some of the movie's best moments or, even worse, that they more or less reveal the film's general structure and climax. This may end up being the case with the long-awaited Danny Boyle sequel. But, for now, the first preview is an effective introduction to the new 28 Years Later cast and perhaps a tragic tease of what's in store for the film's returning star.

Source: Sony Pictures

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28 Years Later
Release Date
June 20, 2025
Runtime
126 minutes
Director
Danny Boyle
Writers
Danny Boyle, Alex Garland
Producers
Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Bernard Bellew

It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.

Franchise(s)
28 Days Later
Main Genre
Horror