Ex Machina writer-director Alex Garland has spoken out about the hotly-anticipated sequel 28 Months Later. The original outing - 28 Days Later - was based on one of Garland’s first screenplays, but his personal view on sequels saw him bow out of the immediate follow-up 28 Weeks Later. While a third instalment in the undead franchise has been in talks for several years, according to the scribe it’s now in the early stages of development.
In an interview with The Playlist, Garland discusses how the concept for the third chapter arose and who will be tackling production. “The rights to ‘28 Days’ were frozen, effectively, because they were shared between Danny [Boyle], [producer] Andrew [McDonald], myself, and Fox,” he says. “After the second one, none of us really wanted to do another. Fox may or may not have, I don't know.”
“About two years ago, Danny started collaborating on the potential to make Trainspotting 2, another sequel,” he goes on to elaborate. “In that conversation, an idea for '28 Months' arrived. I had a sort of weird idea that popped into my head. Partly because of a trip I'd taken. I had this thought, and I suggested it to Andrew and Danny, but I also said I don't want to work on it. I don't really want to play a role, and Andrew said, 'Leave it to me.' So he's gone off and is working on it.”
Despite offering up his own spin on a new outing, he won’t be penning the script. However, the film is expected to incorporate his initial concept which he describes as “pretty simple. Don't you think those are, in a way, better? Because there is no momentum now, and you've had an organic, real spark about where I can take this. And it just popped into your head, kind of thing. Rather than, ‘Okay, I'm going to make a sequel.’ "
Even though Garland remained tight lipped on the specific details, it’s nevertheless encouraging to hear of his albeit brief involvement in the threequel. The next question is; will director Danny Boyle be back at the helm?
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