28 Years Later Is Ripping Off The Most Unexpected Movie

By Nina Phillips | Published

28 Years Later, a continuation of the 28 Days Later franchise, is written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) and directed by Danny Boyle (Steve Jobs, 127 Hours). This was the duo who wrote the original movie, and they reportedly have some great ideas on how to continue the series. The writer was interviewed by Screenrant, where he ended up admitting he ripped off one of his favorite movies, Kes, for the sequel.

Alex Garland’s Favorite Movies Include Kes

During his interview, Garland mentioned some of his favorite movies, and where he drew inspiration from when making the next part of the series.

When you think of inspiration for a zombie movie, you might not jump to a film where a young boy finds happiness from training a kestral, but that’s exactly what Kes, the movie Garland claims to be ripping off, is about.

Kes Came Out In 1969

Kes is from 1969, directed by Ken Loach (The Angels’ Share, The Wind That Shakes the Barley), and featuring David Bradley (Zulu Dawn, Redemption) as the main boy. The story follows a young boy who is abused and ignored at home.

He ends up taming and training a kestrel falcon, whom he names Kes. As he works hard to teach the bird, his teacher and fellow students help support and encourage him, allowing him to find a glimmer of joy in life.

Connecting To 28 Years Later?

So how does this story about finding joy connect back to 28 Years Later? During his interview, Garland listed five films that inspired him, with Kes being one of them. Since not much is known about 28 Years Later yet, it’s hard to say exactly how he it off, but Garland hints both movies center around the experience and growth of a young boy.

Here’s what Garland had to say during the interview specifically, “I ripped off this film called Kes, a very unexpected thing to rip off in a zombie movie. The script I delivered and Kes, both focused on the experience of a young lad and because I am ripping it off, I wanna direct people to the source material. It’s a very wonderful film, very moving film, and I’ve stolen from it.”

Other Alex Garland Movies?

For those curious, the other four movies Garland listed were The Third Man, All That Jazz, Phantasm, and Anatomy of a Fall.

The third continuation of 28 Days Later has been in discussion for a while. Originally, the third movie in the series was going to be called 28 Months Later. However, with the original having come out over 20 years ago, the writer and director agreed 28 Years Later was a better name.

Bidding War For 28 Years Later

Sony picked up 28 Years Later after a bidding war, and it will be the first movie of at least a two-part sequel, though there are rumors that they are looking to make it a trilogy.

The movie idea was an instant hit between several companies, with the bidding war coming down to Warner Bros. and Sony, which lasted for weeks before the latter company took the lead and won the bid. Though Boyle is coming back to direct the first movie, it’s said the second movie may have a different director.

Cillian Murphy Returning?

There is little information about when 28 Years Later will be released, the details of the plot, or the cast.

One thing that fans do know is that Cillian Murphy (Inception, Oppenheimer) is joining the team again.

While it’s not confirmed if he will be returning as an actor or not, he is taking on the role of executive producer for the show.

Source: ScreenRant