"28 Days Later" was a cult hit for the zombie franchise and it was followed soon after by "28 Weeks Later," albeit with little input from Alex Garland, the man responsible for writing the first film and crafting its world. But a new interview, as cited by Indie Wire, states that a second sequel, "28 Months Later," is now moving forward and it will use Garland's story as its basis.
The screenwriter/ director is known for not favoring sequels. This is why he is not working on a sequel to his most recent work, "Ex Machina," and why he bowed out of the production for "28 Weeks Later." He won't be a part of the new sequel either but at least his story will be the basis for its screenplay.
Garland explained that his distaste for sequels is mostly due to the rushed nature of how they are made. The first film is often given more than enough time in order to be done right but sequels follow a "strike while the iron is hot" mentallity, which he believes deteriorates their quality.
Despite penning the first film, Garland was only credited as an executive producer for its sequel "28 Weeks Later" and he wasn't even credited for its story. Following that film, the rights for a third movie was frozen between Garland, director Danny Boyle, Fox Searchlight Pictures, and executive producer Andrew McDonald, preventing it from being made at the time.
According to the interview, the story for the next film came about when Garland was discussing film projects with McDonald, who was at the time developing a sequel for "Trainspotting."
"In that conversation, an idea for '28 Months' arrived," said Garland. "I had a sort of weird idea that popped into my head. Partly because of a trip I'd taken. I had this thought, and I suggested it to Andrew and Danny, but I also said I don't want to work on it. I don't really want to play a role, and Andrew said, 'Leave it to me.' So he's gone off and is working on it."
Garland also explained that while the story is his, he won't be penning the script. It will be up to McDonald to find the appropriate team of writers to bring his story to life. It is also unsure if Boyle will be returning to helm the third film and it may depend on whether the director's schedule frees up and if he likes the finished screenplay.
