Cillian Murphy's Comeback in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

By  Published Apr 3, 2026, 12:23 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty.

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Cillian Murphy's new horror movie that ignited his 24-year return, , is creeping up Netflix's streaming charts.

The Irish actor originally starred in 28 Days Later (2002) as Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma to find that the Rage Virus has ravaged London. Though he didn't appear in the following installments, 28 Weeks Later (2007) or 28 Years Later (2026), Murphy made his long-awaited return in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026).

Now, recently released on the streaming service, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ranks fourth on 's Top 10 movies in the United States for today, April 3. It ranks below Anaconda (2026), Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom, Madagascar, and above Minions: The Rise of Gru, Black and Blue, Clika, The Bad Guys 2, Lucy, and Bohemian Rhapsody.

What To Know About 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels) and written once again by Alex Garland, Spike as he is taken in by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal's satanic cult, while Dr. Kelson forms a surprising bond with Samson, an Alpha Infected.

includes Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, and Chi Lewis-Parry. New members include Erin Kellyman as Kellie, Emma Laird, Sam Locke, Robert Rhodes, Ghazi Al Ruffai, Maura Bird, Connor Newall, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Mirren Mack, and David Sterne.

, resulting in a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics praising it for picking up right where the last film left off and for raising the brutality while intensifying the unease, elevated by Nia DaCosta's unsettling direction and strong performances from Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell.

Jimmy Crystal and his group standing in The Bone Temple in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

The Bone Temple also has a strong 88% Rotten Tomatoes score from audiences, who found it as difficult to watch as it is to turn away from, calling it a chaotic and visceral experience that still manages to contain an unexpected sense of humanity.

Though 28 Years Later performed well by making $151 million worldwide against its $60 million budget, its direct sequel, The Bone Temple, was released in theaters just six months later this past January and bombed at the box office, making only $57.9 million worldwide against its $63 million budget.

Will Cillian Murphy Return To 28 Years Later?

Jim (Cillian Murphy) in 28 Days Later looking relieved

Cillian Murphy makes a cameo as Jim during , as he and his teenage daughter Sam (Maiya Eastmond) come to the aid of Spike and Kellie attempting to escape a group of infected. His appearance during The Bone Temple's ending serves as his character's reintroduction and sets up the planned fifth film, written once again by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle.

15 7.9/10 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Release Date January 16, 2026 Runtime 109 Minutes Director Nia DaCosta Writers Producers Andrew Macdonald, Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, , Peter Rice

Cast

• Alfie Williams Spike
• Jack O'Connell Jimmy Crystal

Prequel(s) Franchise(s) 28 Days Later Expand Collapse

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