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How to watch 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, and 28 Years Later in order (and where the comics fit in)

How to watch the 28 Days Later franchise in release and chronological order

28 Days Later still — Image credit: DNA Films

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Mon Apr 28 2025

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The Rage virus has been released, turning humanity into violent-hungry zombies. Civilization as we know it is over, and the world has been overrun with the infected. Forget the slow growling zombies you know from other films, because these zombies are angry, fast, and won’t stop until their target has been killed. Welcome to the world of 28 Days Later, where survival is a pipe dream.

The 2002 film 28 Days Later was a low-budget horror film that took the box office by surprise. Audiences were thrilled by the post-apocalyptic film, and it helped revive the zombie movie genre. A sequel, 28 Weeks Later, followed in 2007. Now the franchise is expanding, with a trilogy that begins this summer with 28 Years Later.

With three new movies on the way, now is the perfect time to get into the 28 Days Later franchise, and Popverse is here to help. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the films, their timeline, and where the comics fit in.

How to watch 28 Days Later in release order

The films in the 28 Days Later franchise aren’t numbered, but you can use their titles to figure out their release order. Each title refers to the amount of time that has passed since the outbreak of the Rage virus. For example, 28 Days Later takes place…well…28 days after the outbreak. Likewise, 28 Weeks Later takes place 28 weeks later, and 28 Years Later…well, you get the idea.

With that in mind, here’s how to watch the franchise in release order.

28 Days Later (2002)
28 Years Later (2007)
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
Untitled 28 Years Later sequel (TBA)

How to watch 28 Days Later in chronological order

28 Days Later is one of the easiest franchises to watch in chronological order, as each film’s title tells us its place in the chronology. In addition, the franchise’s chronological order is the same as the release order, making the timeline easy to navigate.

There is some confusion on what year the first film takes place in. Jim finds newspapers dated 2006, but other props point to 2002, the year the movie was filmed. This is likely a production error, so for the purpose of this timeline, we’re going with 2006.

As of now, there is no confirmation on the dates for 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but given their titles, it’s a safe bet to say that they’re set in 2034.

With that, here’s a timeline breakdown of the 28 Days Later franchise.

October-November 2006: 28 Days Later
May-June 2007: 28 Weeks Later
2034: 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

What is the next film after 28 Years Later?

28 Years Later hits theaters on June 20, 2025, but the franchise won’t have much time to catch its breath. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is already in post-production and is expected to hit theaters on January 16, 2026. The film is directed by Nia DaCosta. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O’Connell, and Emma Laird will reprise their roles from 28 Years Later, and Cillian Murphy will be reprising his role as Jim for the first time since 28 Days Later.

An untitled fifth film is currently in pre-production, with Alex Garland serving as screenwriter and Danny Boyle returning as director. No release date has been announced, but with two other films on the way, it seems like 28 Days Later fans have plenty to be excited about for the foreseeable future..

Where do the 28 Days Later comics fit into the timeline?

If you want to get the complete 28 Days Later story, you need to look beyond the films. BOOM! Studios and Fox Atomic Comics have published comic book which expand on the film’s lore, giving us more stories of life after the Rage virus outbreak. 28 Days Later: The Aftermath is a 2007 graphic novel from Fox Atomic Comics that bridges the gap between the first two films. 28 Days Later is a 24-issue series that BOOM! Studios published between 2009 and 2011. The ongoing series is primarily set around the time period of 28 Weeks Later.

There are some inconsistencies between the comics and films, so they should be considered secondary canon. One example is the BOOM! Studios comic implies that Jim was executed. However, Cillian Murphy will be reprising his role as Jim in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, so it appears the rumors of his death were premature. There is some ambiguity over his execution in the comics, leaving some wiggle room for his survival.

Here’s a brief timeline detailing how the 28 Days Later comics fit in with the films.

28 Days Later: The Aftermath (Stage 1: Development)
28 Days Later: The Aftermath (Stage 2: Outbreak)
28 Days Later (2002 film)/28 Days Later: The Aftermath (Stage 3: Decimation)
28 Days Later #1-21
28 Days Later: The Aftermath (Stage 4: Quarantine)
28 Weeks Later (2007 film)/28 Days Later #22-24

Is 28 Days Later or 28 Weeks Later scarier?

Fear is subjective, so there’s no scientific method for determining which film is the scariest. However, going through Reddit threads, social media posts, and online editorials, 28 Days Later is commonly referred to as the scarier film. Viewers cite the first film’s pacing, and say that the lower budget made it feel less polished and “less Hollywood,” making the atmosphere scarier. Plus, there was more worldbuilding, and what a world they built. Characters were hacking their loved ones to death out of fear that they could be infected. Plus, I’ll never forget the way those zombies moved.

Of course, your mileage may vary. And to be fair, both films are pretty scary.

Why was 28 Days Later banned?

This question is one of the most commonly searched ones associated with the film, but it’s based on a misunderstanding. The film 28 Days Later hasn’t been banned, but there was a time when it couldn’t be purchased physically or digitally. This wasn’t due to complications surrounding the film’s rights.

The film was produced by DNA Films and UK Film Council and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. When Disney acquired 20^th Century Fox in 2019, Fox Searchlight Pictures came with that, giving them the rights to 28 Days Later. Shortly thereafter, 28 Days Later producer Andrew MacDonald purchased the rights back from Disney. MacDonald then sold the rights to Sony Pictures, the studio behind the upcoming sequel 28 Years Later.

This put 28 Days Later in a bit of legal limbo, and for a time the film wasn’t available to purchase or stream. After years of being unavailable, Sony Pictures made 28 Days Later available to rent and purchase digitally on a variety of video-on-demand platforms.

The only thing scarier than zombies is complicated intellectual property rights.

Why did Danny Boyle not direct 28 Weeks Later?

Danny Boyle is the director behind 28 Days Later, and he’s returning to direct the third film in the franchise, 28 Years Later. This has caused some viewers to wonder why he skipped the second film, 28 Weeks Later. According to interviews done during the film’s production, Boyle was unavailable because he was working on the 2007 film Sunshine.

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo signed in to direct in his place, and Boyle was given an executive producer credit. However, Boyle would say in interviews that his executive producer credit was merely ceremonial, and he had very little involvement in the final film.

Was 28 Years Later filmed on iPhone?

Yes, 28 Years Later was filmed using an iPhone 15 Pro Max. According to a report from Wired, the iPhone had special lens attachments to enhance the picture. Other scenes of the film were shot using drones and other traditional film cameras.

Is the Sandra Bullock film 28 Days related to 28 Days Later?

I’m not going to lie; I’ve mixed these two films up on more than one occasion.

28 Days is a 2000 comedy drama film about Sandra Bullock going to rehab. 28 Days Later is a 2002 post-apocalyptic film about the aftermath of a zombie outbreak. The titles are similar, but the films are not related. 28 Days is not a prequel to 28 Days Later, unless you want to pretend Sandra Bullock’s character faced a zombie apocalypse after her stint in rehab.

Where can I watch 28 Days Later?

As of this writing, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later are no longer available on any streaming services. However, both films can be rented or purchased digitally from a variety of video-on-demand platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home, and more. Please note, the availability of both films could change as new deals are made, especially with the upcoming sequels on the way.

Now you have everything you need to watch the 28 Days Later franchise. Grab your popcorn, lock your doors, keep the lights off, and beware of the infected.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.