Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s 28 Years Later film continues to impress the industry and its fanbase, as it has already reached an incredible milestone for the zombie franchise. Even though the long-awaited third installment has only been in cinemas for almost 2 weeks, 28 Years Later has overtaken 28 Weeks Later and 28 Days Later in sales, putting its stamp firmly in place as one of the best horror films of 2025.

However, to make a movie work, it's not just about its storyline, and thankfully, 28 Years Later has been blessed with a star-studded array of the UK's finest, with actors like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer and newcomer Alfie Williams, the third installment was already set up to be a success. 28 Years Later tells the tragic story of events that transpired after the Rage virus escaped a medical research laboratory, in which a group of survivors tries to make a life for themselves among the terrifying zombies, with one group taking up life on an island in the hopes of maintaining a more "normal" life. However, while heading out on a hunting trip to the mainland, father and son, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Spike (Alfie Williams), are exposed to the horrors that lay in wait for them. 28 Years Later's YouTube trailer gained 60.2 million global views in its first 24 hours and later became the best horror ticket pre-seller of 2025, so it's no surprise that the film has now passed a huge box office mark.

Spike and Isla train scene in 28 Years Later

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By Rachael Fiddis

28 Years Later Has Grossed $103 Million Globally at the Box Office

28 years later jodie comer ralph fiennes bone

According to BoxOfficeReport on X/Twitter, which specializes in box office reporting and predictions, 28 Years Later has passed the $100 million box office global mark. To be more exact, the film has so far grossed $103 million, which includes $100 million worldwide and $50 million domestically. Since this is only the film's second week of release, it seems very likely that this figure will continue to climb. Putting Boyle's recent release numbers into context with his other films in the trilogy, 28 Days Later reached $45 million domestically and $73 million worldwide, and 28 Weeks Later reached $29 million domestically and $72 million globally.

However, for 28 Years Later to make a profit on its reported budget of $60 million, it would need to earn $150 million. Since the zombie franchise started out in 2002, prices have obviously risen, so the budget for 28 Years Later is considerably more than its previous installments. Another reason why the budget is higher now is due to its cast, with people like Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes who wouldn't come cheaply, as opposed to 28 Days Later when Cillian Murphy was still largely unknown. Of course, using 20 iPhone 15's with expensive lenses would also up the price.

Even though 28 Years Later took a steep drop in its second weekend, falling by 68%, its current milestone is a fantastic indicator that fans aren't done with the zombie franchise just yet, especially given its Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%. Many fans were divided by the film's very strange and weird ending, but this should mark a fascinating crossover into Boyle's The Bone Temple, which is a sequel to 28 Years Later and slated for release on 16 January 2026.