‘28 Years Later’ Has the Potential to be The Biggest Horror Movie Ever
28 Days Later has gone down in history as one of the most important horror movies of all time, inspiring plenty of amazing post-apocalyptic offerings in the years after its release. You could argue that, without it, there wouldn’t have been films like I Am Legend and series such as The Walking Dead.
Fans thought the series had ended after 28 Weeks Later in 2007, but it was recently announced that there will be a brand-new offering in 2025. What’s more, 28 Years Later is set to lead to more titles in the franchise.
Movie Set for 2025 Release
28 Years Later is scheduled for a June 2025 release, and it has all the elements to be a major blockbuster hit. Aside from its reputation as one of the best horror franchises ever, Danny Boyle is returning to direct Alex Garland’s screenplay. Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as Jim from the original, and he’ll be joined by a fine cast that includes Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Murphy was barely known when he was cast in the 2002 offering, which only had a budget of $8 million. Since then, he has gone on to become a global star, with roles in Hollywood blockbusters including Batman Begins and Inception. The Irishman also picked up an Academy Award for his performance in Oppenheimer last year, meaning that he’s going to be a major draw for any future film releases. Indeed, many people who haven’t seen the original picture will likely attend 28 Years Later at movie theaters simply to see Murphy in action.
New Offering Could Leverage Modern Entertainment
Both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later were profitable against their low budgets, but they weren’t major cinematic events. They preceded the modern online entertainment industry, and didn’t have all the marketing outlets that today’s films have when they are released.
This time, the production budget is set to exceed the total box office revenue earned by its predecessor. This highlights how the upcoming offering is predicted to be a blockbuster, and it will need to make the most of other entertainment platforms to get in front of as many viewers as possible.
One of the best ways to do this is to branch out into diverse forms of entertainment, such as the mobile gaming market. The Terminator franchise, for instance, has many related mobile apps to raise awareness. The online bingo industry is another key market to get into, as it attracts a wide range of players. Slingo bingo games are hugely popular now, and there are horror options such as Slingo X-Scream. A 28 Years Later game could fit in this market easily, and help the new picture reach a much larger audience.
For 28 Years Later to become the highest grossing horror movie of all time, it will need to beat It’s earnings of over $700 million in 2017. It certainly has the potential to do so, but it may need to leverage modern entertainment platforms to have an even better chance.