Cillian Murphy is officially returning to his iconic role as Jim in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but for a hot second, fans thought they had already seen him… as a zombie.
When the first trailer dropped for 28 Years Later, many swore the corpse-like figure shuffling across the screen was Murphy himself, but it was later confirmed the undead character was actually portrayed by art dealer and model Angus Neill. Now, Murphy has finally responded to the mix-up with an amusing comment.
The actor, who avoids social media, admitted it was his son who made sure he didn’t miss out on the internet conspiracy. Murphy told The Observer:
“That’s great people think I look like a zombie cadaver. It’s very flattering.”
Of course, fans will see the real Jim in the sequel, though Murphy teased that his appearance will be brief this time around. “Only in it for a little bit” at the end, his return will serve as a setup for the trilogy’s third chapter, which Murphy promised is “really, really good.”
Directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple continues the story years after the last outbreak. This time, the focus is on Spike, played by Alfie Williams, a teenager who ventures beyond the safety of his isolated community into the chaos of the infected world.
By the end of the first film, he crosses paths with Jimmy Crystal, played by Jack O’Connell, and his cult-like crew who will be pivotal moving forward.
The recently trailer teased some intense new footage, giving us a look at Jimmy’s twisted followers and the mysterious Dr. Kelson, played by Ralph Fiennes.
A chilling voiceover sets the tone for the apocalyptic sequel: “When that time comes, men will no longer communicate. We may have diseases and barbarism. The whole world will cease to make any sense. Look at the incredible changes we’ve experienced and survived, and yet even greater changes are still to come.”
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits theaters on January 16, 2026.
