Sony Pictures Entertainment released the official trailer for the upcoming post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Years Later on December 10, and it caused quite a stir. In the eight days since its release, the trailer has amassed over 15.8 million views on YouTube, primarily because it features an emaciated zombie bearing a striking resemblance to heartthrob Cillian Murphy, a hero in the first film.
The third installment of the 28 Days Later series is set to be released in the United Kingdom and the United States on June 20, 2025. However, the Yorkshire Tribune can exclusively reveal that the sequel to 28 Weeks Later was almost delayed indefinitely due to the risk of going massively over budget. Here’s why.
Filming in Bradford Almost Canned 28 Years Later
Like the previous two films, 28 Years Later is filmed in various parts of the United Kingdom. Principal photography began in May 2024 in Northumberland. Everything was going swimmingly until the film crew headed to Bradford. Once the crew arrived in the “City of Culture” (lol), director Danny Boyle knew he would have to be at his creative best to keep the movie within its budget.
“28 Years Later is a post-apocalyptic horror film, so you’d naturally expect everywhere to be in a state of disrepair. We were not prepared for what greeted us in Bradford,” explained Oscar-winning Lancastrian. “The city is an absolute shithole; it looks like what I’d imagine the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to look like. Burned-out cars, dilapidated buildings, and Spiceheads wandering the streets like mindless zombies. I thought the movie’s extras had escaped the compound or gone for a walk while still in character.”
Boyle revealed that his talented team had to improve the set and surrounding area for the film to remain believable.
“I know my films are set during a time when the rage virus has ravaged the UK, and society has collapsed, but surely, even in such times, the country wouldn’t be in as bad a state as Bradford is during the day. We had to dress up the set so it didn’t look as bad. I kind of wish we’d chosen to film in Dewsbury instead.”
Our source at Sony Pictures Entertainment showed the Yorkshire Tribune receipts and invoices totalling more than £8.3 million for filming in Bradford alone. The film has an estimated budget of £75 million, so that represents a significant slice.
Richard Dunn Sports Centre to Feature on the Silver Screen
Costly filming in Bradford took place at the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre site in Odsal. Named after the boxer who famously fought Muhammad Ali for the WBA/WBC Heavyweight titles in May 1976, the last date anyone ever tidied up in Bradford, the sports centre closed in 2019. Plans to demolish the building were scuppered when it was given listed status.
Plans were afoot to use the building as a makeshift morgue during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but thankfully, that was never needed. Talks are underway about transforming the site into the UK’s first Olympic-level skate park. However, it’s more likely to be converted into student accommodation or the world’s largest vape superstore.
