28 Weeks Later | 2007

28 Weeks Later is a 2007 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and co-written by Rowan Joffe, Enrique López-Lavigne, and Jesús Olmo. It is a sequel to 28 Days Later (2002) and the second installment in the same-named film series. The film stars Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Mackintosh Muggleton, Imogen Poots, and Idris Elba. It is set in the aftermath of the first film, depicting NATO forces' efforts to secure a safe zone in London and the consequences of two young brothers breaking the rules in search of their mother's photograph, leading to the reintroduction of the rage virus into the safe zone.

28 Weeks Later was released in theaters in the UK on May 11, 2007, by 20th Century Fox, and in the US by Fox Atomic. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $65 million worldwide. A sequel, 28 Years Later, is set to be released on June 20, 2025.

During the original outbreak of the rage virus, Don, his wife Alice, and four survivors hide in a cottage on the outskirts of London. They hear a knock on the door from a terrified boy, and Don lets him in. Minutes later, they discover that infected people have followed the boy. Don pleads with Alice to leave the boy, but she refuses, and ultimately, he abandons them and escapes by boat. Alice, the boy, and the remaining survivors are likely killed.

As the infected begin to die of starvation, NATO forces take control of the UK. 28 weeks after the outbreak, under the command of General Stone, American troops bring in settlers. Among the new arrivals are Don and Alice's children, Tammy and Andy, who were abroad during the outbreak. They enter the heavily guarded safe zone, Zone 1, in the Isle of Dogs and reunite with their father.

Within hours of their arrival, Tammy and Andy sneak out of the safe zone, ignoring several serious language and signage warnings, to return to their old home to collect family photographs. Andy discovers Alice, who is in a coma. The three are found by American soldiers and taken back to Zone 1, where they are quarantined. Alice is moved to a quarantine facility and examined by Army medic Scarlet, who determines she is an asymptomatic carrier of the rage virus. Don illegally visits Alice to apologize, and they kiss. However, Don becomes infected, brutally kills her, and begins a rampage.

Scarlet rescues Tammy and Andy, realizing their genetic makeup may hold the key to a cure. Don initiates a rapid domino effect of rage infection. In the chaos, American soldiers cannot distinguish between panicked survivors and raging infected, and are ordered to shoot everyone. A sniper, Doyle, who cannot follow the order, escapes with Scarlet, Tammy, and Andy as the U.S. Air Force drops firebombs on Zone 1. Don survives the bombing as one of the infected and escapes into abandoned London.

Doyle's pilot friend Flynn comes to pick him up by helicopter but is instructed to go to Wembley Stadium, leaving civilians behind. Ignoring the orders, Doyle leads the three to Wembley. They break into an abandoned Volvo V70 to escape the nerve gas released to kill the infected, but cannot start the car. As American soldiers with flamethrowers approach, Doyle exits the car to try to push-start it but is burned alive. Scarlet and the children flee into the London Underground, but Don kills Scarlet and bites Andy.

Tammy shoots and kills Don. Andy, who shows no symptoms, becomes a carrier of the rage virus. They are picked up by Flynn and fly over the destruction of Zone 1 before heading to France. 28 days later, a voice with a French accent is heard on the radio of Flynn's abandoned helicopter, calling for help. Infected appear in the Paris Metro, looking at the Eiffel Tower, revealing that the virus has spread to the European continent.

The international success of the 2002 horror film 28 Days Later influenced director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter Alex Garland to create a sequel four years later. Macdonald stated, "We were very surprised by the astonishing success of the first film, especially in the U.S. We saw the opportunity to make a second film with an already established audience. We thought it was a great idea to satisfy that audience again."

However, in March 2005, Boyle announced he would not direct the 2007 film due to obligations for Sunshine, but would remain as an executive producer. He also hinted that the film's plot would center around the aftermath of the first film, with the U.S. military declaring victory in the "war against infection" and beginning national reconstruction. Boyle later hired Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, believing he could bring a "fresh perspective" to the film. Another reason Boyle chose Fresnadillo was that he was a "huge fan" of Fresnadillo's 2001 film Intacto. Before taking on the directing role, Fresnadillo had taken a five-year break from filmmaking to work on TV commercials.

Fresnadillo felt that the family story in Rowan Joffe's original script was not sufficiently developed, so he decided to rewrite it with Enrique López-Lavigne and Jesús Olmo. Fresnadillo and López-Lavigne were not impressed with the initial draft but decided to retain the concept of "a family trying to start over after the first outbreak" as a valuable aspect in the rewritten version. The rewriting took nearly a year, with Garland providing additional input on the script.