28 Months Later: 28 Possible Plots

Inspired by : 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later

The closing scene of 28 Weeks Later suggested that the zombies had made it to Paris, so this would be the most obvious route for a follow-up to take.

As well as the chance to use the City of Love as the arena for some intense action scenes, we find out through flashback what happened to the ones that got away at the end of 28 Weeks...

Surviving members of the US army have made it from London's District 1 to Paris, and have only a few clues to help them find out what happened to the escapees, whilst fending off attacks from the Parisian Rage victims.

Inspired by : Die Hard (1988)

Scale-down the setting and have all of the zombie terror taking place within one large building: an enormous factory in which a few survivors have found a safe haven.

Keeping the thrills tense and tight, the sprawling action of 28 Weeks ... becomes a much leaner, more tense affair.

A rogue marine comes across a seemingly abandoned factory, and discovers that it is inhabited by a few human survivors. When the infected masses stumble upon this hideout, our marine must use all of his training to help protect this last-chance fortress.

Inspired by : Planet of the Apes (1968)

A human baby is born in captivity and raised as a slave to his zombie overlords, who have gained the power of slightly-less-garbled speech.

He grows up ignorant of the origin of his species: his knowledge of his ancestors is limited to the occasional artifacts he uncovers. His only friendly contact is with a couple of zombie doctors, one of whom he develops 'confusing' feelings for.

After he escapes his masters, he comes across a half-submerged Statue of Liberty, and can do nothing but damn the infected to hell.

Inspired by : Alien (1979)

A few survivors have launched themselves into space in an attempt to save themselves from the horrors of living on Earth with the infected.

While they try to create their own sustainable microcosm of society on board the ship, they realise that they are not alone, and that a Rage-infected zombie has snuck into the cargo hold.

One-by-one, the crew start being picked off…

Inspired by : Avatar (2009)

Utilising James Cameron’s groundbreaking 3-D and mocap technologies, this zombie sequel sees a marine go undercover as one of the infected in an attempt to penetrate one of the largest undead collectives, which has set itself up in the Brazilian rainforest.

The action ante is upped by the inclusion of infected jungle creatures. Our marine finds his loyalties tested when he starts appreciating the zombiefied way of life.

A little preachy, but the amazing 3-D zombie action will make it all worth while.

Inspired by : High Noon (1952)

A disparate band of survivors have been living in a deserted town, which seems to have been unaffected by the Rage outbreak. Living off the land and any supplies that they can find locally, it's a fairly peaceful existence for the survivors, which does not last long.

When the group get wind of a zombie invasion that'll soon be heading their way, it's up to the enigmatic 'Sheriff' to lead the team against their undead attackers, as the town prepares for a tense siege.

The action feels all the more compelling as the film virtually unfolds in real time.

Inspired by : The Road (2009)

The effects of the Rage virus have spread throughout the world. This story follows a father and son team who try to make their way across the bleak, post-infection landscape, with the hope of finding some kind of salvation.

The harsh conditions offer up little food or clean water, and are as dangerous as the Rage victims. The struggling central duo also have to contend with the survivors who have lost their minds as a result of the unendurable circumstances.

Wispy beards and cavernous cheekbones abound.

Inspired by : The Rock (1996)

As the virus spreads worldwide at a rapid speed, it's not long before Rage has gone Stateside. When a suspected case is diagnosed in one of the highest-security prisons in San Fransisco, the place goes into an emergency lockdown.

There's one inmate who isn't going to sit around and wait to get infected, though. Wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, our hero decides to bust himself out before it's too late.

But it won't be easy. As well as the prison's highly-contagious zombie inmates, he'll also have to pass the even more sadistic prison guards.

Inspired by : Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

In the 28 months following the initial outbreak, a vaccine has been pioneered and dispensed around the world, to prevent the further spread of the Rage virus.

In a small town, the survivors try to piece together their lives and move on, but a weaker strain of the virus is still present in the air, with any new victims being affected by the zombification process extremely slowly. Paranoia quickly spreads, as more and more people become blank, lifeless versions of themselves.

Expect slow-burning chills to take a precedent over the frenetic action of the first two installments.

Inspired by : Battle Royale (2000)

The American soldiers who intervened before the events of 28 Weeks… come up with a new solution.

Dump the remaining infected on an island, and force them to take each other out until only one is left standing, using the threat of explosive neckwear to ensure a ferocious fight.

A US soldier who is morally troubled by the whole business is 'accidentally' left on the island, and has to fight for survival amidst the zombie-on-zombie carnage.

Inspired by : The Fly (1986)

28 months after the Rage virus has been safely contained, one man gets more than he bargained for when he shares a decontamination pod with a flake of zombie skin. At first he is rejuvenated by the virus he carries, but before long it starts to destroy his life.

Slowly, his body undergoes a horrific transformation, until he’s finally half-human, half-zombie.

Unsurprisingly, this puts his relationship with his missus under a little strain.

Inspired by : District 9 (2009)

The infection reaches South Africa, where the Rage victims are forced to live in segregated slums. A team is charged with evacuating all the infected from the shanty towns after the government decides it no longer wants them there.

Fortunately the political undertones don't get in the way of a spectacular action blowout, as we see all manner of innovative weapons deployed to annihilate the misunderstood zombies and some of the more dastardly humans.

Inspired by : Apocalypto (2006)

The infected have overtaken the globe, and established a civilization of their own.

Uncompromising zombie gore will keep your attention, despite the fact all the dialogue will be authentic undead groans (with subtitles).

The film focuses primarily on one of the zombies who discovers a shred of latent humanity when faced with being sacrificed to feed the tribe. He goes on the run to escape his fate, and attempts to save his infected family in the process.

Inspired by : The Lives of Others (2006)

Set in an alternate East Germany, where the Berlin Wall still stands, this follows a government scientist assigned to monitor a Rage victim.

At first he is disgusted at what he records, but gradually begins to realise ways in which his own life is lacking, and begins to wonder whether it's himself or his charge who is really ‘undead’.

With its political themes and touching human dimension, it's a shoe-in for the Best Film in Zombie Grunts at the Academy Awards.

Inspired by : Grindhouse (2007)

Zombie carnage has reduced a small Texan town to a scene from a 70s sleaze-fest, as the most recently infected victims have developed a taste for the most gruesome and stylised kills imaginable.

A mixed group of survivors (some old-school infected, some immune) take refuge in a bar, and try to figure out a way in which they can work together to fight off the new strain of infection.

Expect missing reels, star cameos, and an invasion on a burlesque club (complete with zombie boobs falling off).

Inspired by : 12 Monkeys (1995)

28 months after the original, a team of scientists send a volunteer back in time to try to find out the cause of the Rage virus.

While the volunteer is unable to directly stop the epidemic, he does get put in the rather cool position of witnessing his own death. And seeing as the volunteer travels back to a couple of different points in the timespan of the infection, there is plenty of opportunity for some zombie survival action amidst the head-scratching.

Inspired by : Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

This shock-doc highlights the unfairness with which US policy deals with the infected victims. Michael Moore is on his soapbox once more, interviewing the zombified minorities and telling their shocking life stories.

Surveillance footage, jerky animation and ‘ker-ay-zee’ stunts will be rolled out to tug at your heart strings, and ensure you never look at zombies in the same way again.

Inspired by : 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

This visual feast looks at the key stages in zombie development, jump-cutting from the first time a Rage victim gets the taste for human flesh, to 28 months after the fallout, to the next evolutionary stage of infection.

As our protagonist will be reborn as a Starman, there will be plenty of scope for Super-Zombie-Star-Baby action in the next sequel, 28 Aeons Later .

Inspired by : WALL-E (2008)

Within 28 months, the virus has left only one (infected) human on the entire globe.

He falls hopelessly in love with a probe sent down to check the safety of the Earth for human repopulation.

Unfortunately, the probe doesn't reciprocate his feelings, and instead of a tender love story developing, we get a tense game of robot and zombie cat-and-mouse across the desolate landscape.

Inspired by : The Seventh Seal (1957)

A lone survivor is dismayed at the state of the world. An infected victim comes to attack him, but agrees to put off converting him to a zombie whilst they have an ongoing game of chess.

As the human crosses the ravaged landscape, he meets up with a ragtag bunch of survivors, and learns about love, death, faith and the modern equivalent of leprosy. In black and white, naturally.

Inspired by : Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Despite the fact that human life on Earth is almost at an end, a gang of smooth-as-you-like career criminals unite for ‘one last job’.

The dream-team break into a top-secret laboratory to steal a newly-created antidote to the infection, though they prioritise looking sharp and settling old scores over their mission.

The tension is slightly undercut by the pervading sense of smugness.

Inspired by : Love Actually (2003)

A series of interconnected tales in snowbound London, examining the ways in which zombification affects the victim’s life.

Turns out that everyone is a Rage victim, or knows someone suffering, or has had a relationship with a zombie. Or is neglecting a loved one who has zombie symptoms.

Depending on your disposition you'll leave with either a warm fuzzy glow, or a new-found sympathy for the rampaging hordes.

Inspired by : 24

The 28 saga heads to TV with a 28-hour (well, 28 x 45 minutes) series.

The terror unfolds in real-time as a CTU agent has a terrible day (and a bit) trying to protect the President from the Rage epidemic without once stopping for a toilet break.

There are a tiresome number of twists that reveal trusted officials are – shock – infected.

Inspired by : Twilight (2008)

Not so much a sequel as a reboot, the action is relocated to a high-school in small-town America.

The new girl in town is intrigued by one of her classmates, and a tentative romance blossoms, but she is slightly bemused by his intimacy issues and flaking skin.

Franchise potential.

Inspired by : It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

One of the infected looks back at how his life has been ruined since the epidemic.

After much teary flashbacking, he turns to suicide, only to be visited by an angel who shows him what his life would have been like had he not been infected.

Climaxes with an angels vs zombies bloodbath.

Inspired by : Funny People (2009)

This threequel takes the series in a Frat Pack direction.

A 90s box-office star reevaluates his life after being diagnosed with Rage. Spending time with a younger generation of victims allows him to take a good, hard look at his life and career.

Despite finding out he's not actually infected, he appreciates the valuable life lessons he has learnt, and sees his career skyrocket after starring in a new, sensitive kind of zombie movie.

Inspired by : Nine (2009)

After revitalising zombies by giving them super-speed, the series makes the most of this new-found sprightliness by wrangling them into a dancing troupe.

With arty black-and-white flashbacks to the pre-infection days, this Oscar-baiting musical attracts a suprisingly A-list cast, including Daniel Day-Lewis (whose methods for getting into character are a bit much in this instance).

Inspired by : 48 Hours (1982)

A grizzled cop must reluctantly join forces with a wise-cracking Rage victim in an attempt to solve a zombie-related case.

While the cop is initially disgusted at his new partner's rotting flesh and the threat of contagion, he learns to appreciate his decaying accomplice. Before succumbing to infection.

Could launch the 'buddy-zom' genre.