Cillian Murphy is returning for 28 Years Later, but in a "surprising way"

Sony Motion Pictures chairman Tom Rothman has confirmed that Cillian Murphy will indeed be appearing in 28 Years Later, a new sequel to Murphy's 2002 breakout movie.

When asked by Deadline if Murphy will be back for the new film, Rothman replied, "Yes, but in a surprising way and in a way that grows, let me put it that way."

28 Years Later was initially announced as a two-part film before later reports confirmed it as a trilogy, with Rothman specifying that 28 Years Later is "not in any way a literal sequel." Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jodie Comer are set to star in 28 Years Later Part One, which will follow a new group of survivors as they try to navigate the fallout from an aggression-inducing virus almost three decades after the initial outbreak. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have reunited for the two-part film, with Boyle directing Part One and Garland penning the script.

The flagship film starred Murphy as a bike courier who wakes up from a coma only to find that a virus has all but destroyed society. 28 Days Later grossed $82 million against its $8 million budget, and put Murphy on the path to becoming a household name. 28 Weeks Later, a standalone sequel directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, hit theaters in 2007.

28 Years Later does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guides to the most exciting upcoming horror movies, and the best horror movies of all time.