How To Watch '28 Days Later' On UK TV Now, Before Seeing Sequel '28 Years Later'

Elle

4 hours ago

More than two decades after it helped redefine the zombie genre, 28 Days Later is gaining fresh attention thanks to the upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later.
Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the 2002 cult classic follows a man, played by Cillian Murphy, who wakes from a coma to find London devastated by a deadly virus. With its gritty scenes and fast-moving infected zombies, the film is chilling to say the least.
Now, as excitement builds for the next chapter - which features stars like Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor Johnson, fans are revisiting where it all began. Here's where and how to watch 28 Days Later—whether you're rewatching or experiencing it for the first time.
The film is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer. However if you do not have access to this platform you watch it on NOW, Sky Store and Apple TV.
If you're doing a recap rewatch of 28 Days Later in anticipation of watching the new film you might also stumble upon 28 Weeks Later, starring Jeremy Renner, but crucially not directed by Boyle (though he was an executive producer).
However, as Boyle has explained, new film 28 Years Later doesn't follow on from the second Weeks film - and in fact ignores crucial plot points from the ending of that second film.
Speaking to Collider, Boyle said they wanted to move away from the idea introduced in the second film that some people could be immune. 'We decided to base this trilogy being inspired by the first film. Not just in terms of character, as the Cillian Murphy character eventually appears, but also in terms of the definition of the virus, its behaviour, and reactions to it.'
And from the second film, they also haven't taken on the revelation that the virus had spread to Europe: 'What was unique about the first film and was the best choice we ever made about it was that it featured entirely British.
He added: 'It was just that land. And it was extraordinary thinking about something that powerful breaking out in that particular space, and it had to be dealt with by the inhabitants of that land.
'And we decided to concentrate on that. There's nothing wrong with 28 Weeks Later. We just decided not to follow those story elements. And it's a bold choice we decided to declare up front by saying the Rage Virus was driven back from mainland Europe.'
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